Manito Ahbee festival a chance to celebrate kinship, hospitality and Indigenous culture: executive director

A sacred fire, traditional songs and a little rain helped kick off this year's Manito Ahbee Festival in Winnipeg Wednesdayat the Oodena Celebration Circle at The Forks.

The annual festival, now in its 14th year, celebrates Indigenous culture, music and art.

The festival is unique in the way it brings communities together, saysexecutive directorLisa Meeches.

"There's so many looming questions about the Indigenous communitywe've been researched to death," she said.

"Why not just come and participate with us in our songs and dances and be reminded of how friendly we need to be with one another? This festival allows for that energy and that hospitality and that kinship that needs to happen."

The festival, which runs from May 15-19, includes a youth education day, anIndigenous marketplace and trade show, a music conference,and a powwowexpected to draw roughly 1,000 dancers.

The Indigenous Music Awards ceremony, which runs as part of Manito Ahbee,is scheduled forFriday night at the Club RegentEvent Centre.

Award winners will be presented with handmade drums.

In all, Meeches saidmorethan 17,000people are expected to take part in Manito Ahbee this year.

That will include gospelsingerDonna Pratt, who was honoured andperformed at the OodenaCircle Wednesday as part of ManitoAhbee's opening ceremony.

She said she participates in the festival every year.

"It's a circle of life," said Pratt. "It brings our people together from all the nations."