From celebration to connection: How one event brings communities together

For one group, its Independence Day celebration was not only a chance to celebrate culture, but also an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with the broader community in Northern Saskatchewan.

The Association of Nigerians in Northern Saskatchewan (ANNSASK) marked a milestone in 2024 with its largest Naija Day celebration yet. The full-day event brought warmth and colour to Melfort last fall, with vibrant showings of cultural attire, food, music and dance. Joseph Akinjobi, president, ANNSASK, says that coming together to hold this celebration of independence and self-determination “reminds us of who we are, our existence and our purpose as a people.”

“On Naija Day, we came together to reflect on what we have been able to achieve in the diaspora, and also to showcase our culture to the people who have decided to take us among themselves and make us a home far away from home,” Akinjobi says.

The event was particularly aimed at showcasing Nigerian cultures to those who did not grow up surrounded by it. This included the children of the members of ANNSASK, many of whom were born in Canada. Segun Owonikoko, chairman of the event’s organizing committee, says that it is the group’s goal to teach the next generation to “recognize who they are and where they came from, but also recognize the country that they now [call home].

“We want them to be proud Canadians and proud Nigerians at the same time,” he says.

Lara Abogunrin, who was part of the organizing committee for the event, says that having a large-scale celebration was a unique opportunity to highlight the beauty of the diversity of Nigerian cultures, both to the children and to the association’s friends. During the event, people who had not been familiar with Nigerian cultures before were able to relate to it and find commonalities.

“They saw the diversity, and also the things we share. For example, Canadian people [in our communities] are big on family, which is something that we have in common,” Abogunrin says.

With the Naija celebration taking place only a few days before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) on September 30, the organizers also decided to include a commemoration of NDTR in the event programming. While the local Indigenous leaders that they had planned to partner with for this part of the event were unable to attend in the end, the group is committed to continuing to build relationships. Abogunrin says that this is important because “when you go to somebody's house, you have to respect and honour the people in the house.”

“We want to form these relationships because we can identify with what [Indigenous peoples] have been through. We can learn from each other. We want our children to learn from the stories of this land,” Abogunrin says.

Overall, the event succeeded in making an impression. Abogunrin says the children present continued to talk about it long after. As for her, organizing helped her learn more about her new home, and seeing the results — her community coming together to celebrate that day — made her proud.

“Getting there and seeing the diversity of culture in this little Northern Saskatchewan city, and the pride in that diversity… It was a highlight for me,” she says.

The Association of Nigerians in Northern Saskatchewan’s 2024 Naija Day celebration received support from SaskCulture’s Small Grant Accessibility Program, funded by the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.