Letter from Chief R. Sam regarding South Island Powwow

Re: Sponsorship Opportunities for the 2025 South Island Powwow on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

In 2021, the federal government designated September 30th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (formerly known as Orange Shirt Day) in response to one of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 2015 Final Report.

Songhees Nation will be hosting the 4th annual South Island Powwow on September 30th, 2025 to honour Survivors of Indian Residential Schools, Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the children who never made it home from these institutions. We are working with the City of Victoria to host this important event with the purpose to educate, show resilience and celebrate Indigenous culture through gathering as a community on the homelands of the lək̓ʷəŋən people, at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, BC. In unity and partnership, we invite you to join us on this day in honour of Indigenous resiliency.

We are seeking contributions for costs associated with this event. With three incredibly successful events in the rear view, the South Island Powwow looks forward to growing and providing more opportunity to Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to gather in a safe space. If you are interested in supporting our event with financial sponsorship, in-kind donations, and/ or volunteering, please review the attached South Island Powwow Sponsorship Deck or visit our website at:

https://www.songheesnation.ca/south-island-powwow.

For further information, please connect with Samantha Dean, Event Planner, by phone at (250) 218-1444 or by email at SIPowwow@songheesnation.com. On behalf of Songhees Nation and the South Island Powwow Committee, həyšxʷq̓ə (thank you) for your consideration, and we look forward to seeing you at the Powwow!

Sincerely,

Chief Ron Sam Songhees Nation