The Doukhobor Dugout House National Historic Site of Canada was the gathering site of a multi-cultural event on Saturday, August 8.
Visitors had a chance to enjoy dances from across the world, as well as Doukhobor Heritage and History.
“We like to not just have our own culture, but we like to invite other cultures to share their own history,” Doukhobor Dugout House founder Brenda Cheveldayoff said.
The Doukhobor Dugout House is not only a National Historic Site of Canada, but also an archaeological dig site. The site consists of two Dugout Houses, the Doukhobor Barn, Workshop, Banya, Prayer Home, Museum/Gift Shop, Oospenia Spring, Leo Tolstoy House, Peter the Lordly Verigin Patio Area, and Overnight Historical Stays.
Every week, the site hosts a different theme for visitors to learn about the Doukhobor people and heritage. The large multi-cultural gathering takes place annually, usually in July. This year is an exception.
Each week, during the different themes, Doukhobor descendants, including Cheveldayoff, dress in traditional outfits that the Doukhobors wore, and act out different aspects of life that the Doukhobor people experienced. The group then recreates the story of how the First Nations people of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation brought a horse to the Doukhobor people.
“There will be a tipi set up, and they’ll do a whole storyline,” said Cheveldayoff. “We work together, we’ve come in with the plough in our outfits, and then their drumming is going on, and we meet. There’s an exchange of tobacco and there’s the horse story.”
Cheveldayoff shared the story of how the Doukhobor women would use a traditional 12 person plough to plant their gardens, to feed their kids, and the community of Muskeg Lake witnessed that and decided to bring a horse to the Doukhobors.
A connection was established between the community of Muskeg Lake and the Doukhobor people through that gesture, at a time where the people of Muskeg Lake could have been arrested for bringing the horse to the Doukhobor people.
The bones of the horse were found during the archaeological dig of the site, and pictures of the skeleton can be found in the museum. The plough is usually available for visitors to visit and use, but unfortunately it was not available for this year’s gathering.
“Every year, I like to always have Indigenous dance here because it’s so important to keep that alive,” said Cheveldayoff.
Alongside the different weekly themes, Cheveldayoff said the overnight historic stays are also important in educating all ages about the Doukhobor people and heritage.
“This place, people are attracted to it because they want to come see the dugout houses, so it’s a perfect place to be able to gather with other cultural groups,” Cheveldayoff said.
The gathering on August 8 consisted of music, dance, food and living heritage of cultures from across the world. The event began at 11 a.m. with indigenous dancers, performing the Hoop Dance and the Men’s Traditional Dance. There were also traditional dances and music from Mexican performers, and various dances from North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, performed by Saskatoon International Folk Dance Club.
“I wanted them to share all of that history with the people that were visiting today,” Cheveldayoff said. “It’s important to keep these things alive, that’s what I like doing.”
Visitors were also able to participate in the hands-on experience of baking their own Doukhobor Bread, with the 200 year old recipe, and authentic wood-fired oven. The Dugout Houses, Barn, Banya, Prayer Home, and Oospenia Spring were also available to visitors for self-guided tours.
There were also live music performers that took the stage on the Peter the Lordly Verigin Patio following the final dances.
Moving forward, Cheveldayoff explained she is excited for the new guest house to be built for overnight stays. She said she hopes that more people stay overnight to truly experience the Doukhobor life, through traditional food, and the isolation of being on the site when there are no visitors around.
Max Pahtayken/Daily Herald
A Indigenous Hoop Dancer shows youth visiting the Doukhobor Dugout House National Historic Site of Canada on August 8 different hoop formations used the the dance.
