PEIDancers in bright regalia and drummers whose work echoed through the community greeted hundreds of people who gathered this weekend to celebrate the 25th annual Lennox Island Mawio’mi.Event honours the past and carries Mi’kmaw traditions forwardHannah Veinot · CBC News · Posted: Aug 24, 2025 4:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoSamuel Campbell is a grass dancer, something he said he’s probably been doing since he learned to walk. (Delaney Kelly/CBC)Dancers in bright regalia and drummers whose beat echoed through the community greeted hundreds of people who came together this weekend to celebrate the 25th annual Lennox Island Mawio’mi. Chief Tabatha Bernard said the yearly gathering, or powwow, of the First Nation located off the northwest coast of Prince Edward Island is a fun weekend but also an occasion that serves to honour Mi’kmaw tradition, culture and spirituality.This year’s event was especially poignant for Bernard, marking the first time she’s attended as chief. She was elected in June.”I have a lot of pride, a lot of aw moments, I guess, and seeing my family, my friends, the community and being here as the chief, it just fills my heart,” she said Saturday.Among the dancers was Samuel Campbell, 14, who said he’s been a grass dancer virtually since the time he learned to walk.It’s “really meaningful because I grew up with it, it’s in my whole life and a lot of people can’t enjoy it like I can,” he said.The teenager said when he dances, he thinks of community members the First Nation has recently lost, including some within his own family.”I think about my nana and my auntie, they both passed away,” he said.Chief Tabatha Bernard attended the celebration for the first time as the chief of Lennox Island First Nation. (Delaney Kelly/CBC)A jingle dress special on Sunday honoured a jingle dress dancer who died this spring. Bernard said the memorial would be emotional but healing for the community.”Jingle dress dancers, they dance for the people. If you have something you want to bring forward to a jingle dress dancer, they’ll go out and they’ll dance for you,” the chief said. “They’ll pray and it’s a lot of work that goes into that.” Nicholas Robinson performed as a men’s traditional dancer in his home community. (Delaney Kelly/CBC)Nicholas Robinson said the weekend was special for him because he got to perform as a men’s traditional dancer in his home community.He has lived most of his life in Halifax, but his roots are on Lennox Island. “Once I hear those drumbeats, I’m dancing for my ancestors, for all seven generations, for everybody who danced before me and everyone that’s going to dance after me,” said Robinson. “When I’m here, I’m really experiencing Lennox Island for what it is.” Non-Indigenous participation is encouraged at mawio’mis. “We want people to come in,” said Bernard. “We want people to experience the dance, to experience the togetherness, the openness, the inclusion.”ABOUT THE AUTHORHannah Veinot is a multiplatform journalist. She graduated from the journalism program at the University of King’s College in 2024. If you have a story idea, email her at hannah.veinot@cbc.caWith files from Delaney Kelly
Lennox Island First Nation welcomes hundreds for 25th annual mawio’mi
