On Monday, Zsuzsanna and I visited the Four Host First Nations pavilion in downtown Vancouver.
Never before have Aboriginal peoples been recognized by the International Olympic Committee as official hosts of a Games. It’s a credit to the vision and leadership of B.C.’s First Nations—and VANOC—that the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Wautut nations have been so central to Vancouver 2010.
The Four Host First Nations have seized the opportunity to display their culture to the world—from the gestures of welcome that kicked off the opening ceremonies, to the artists creating and displaying their work in the pavilion. The Games are better for it.
During our visit on Monday, Zsuzsanna took in the Aboriginal fashion show, and I talked with Bruce R. Dumont, president of the Métis Nation of British Columbia. (Pictured below in the buckskin jacket). Later on, we shared a laugh with Heather Hiscox from the CBC.
Photos from our visit are below, courtesy of photographer Sara Borck.
Michael Ignatieff will be blogging and tweeting his experiences during the Vancouver Olympic Games. Check back here for updates!
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