Winnipeg’s aboriginal community was quick to respond to the South Asia tsunami tragedy. On January 7, Neechi’s Without Borders, a volunteer-driven relief initiative, held a community-wide Pipe Ceremony and 24-Hour Fast for Pledges at the Circle of Life Thunderbird House (Whaka Pimadiziiwii Pinaysiiwigamic). The house serves as a home for aboriginal spirituality and culture.
Twenty fasters, the youngest only 13, sacrificed food and water for 24 hours to raise money for the tsunami survivors. A pipe ceremony, which included 20 pipes and was attended by more than 200 people, sent prayers to those impacted. The event raised $11,000 from about 450 donors for the Red Cross’s relief work.
