The LaFayette High School gym was filled with students Wednesday morning as the school community came together for an Every Child Matters Day gathering focused on Indigenous culture, remembrance and community.

Members of the Onondaga Nation Men’s Singing Society, including Shannon Booth, Donovan Thompson and Ryan Oakes, joined the gathering, sharing traditional songs and drumming while high school students participated in traditional Native dancing.

For the men of the Singing Society, sharing their culture and traditions is deeply rooted in their lives. 

“We’ve all been singing pretty much our whole lives - We get together and sing, and then we’ll go out and do some work and get back together and sing,” Thompson said.

The gathering provided an opportunity to remember the children and families impacted by residential schools. 

“Every native in this country and in Canada has been affected by the traumas that were handed down by boarding schools,” Booth said. “We try to put a positive on it to say we are still here. Our culture, our language, our dances.”

As the men played drums and sang, students filled the gymnasium, participating in traditional Native dancing and experiencing the power of cultural connection firsthand.

Through music, drumming, dance and ceremony, the Onondaga Nation Men’s Singing Society shared traditions that connect generations and strengthen community. The men also spoke about the importance of participating in ceremonies, carrying culture forward and caring for one another, including helping elders and lending a hand when needed.

Every Child Matters Day gave LaFayette students an opportunity to learn, remember and celebrate the enduring strength of Indigenous culture and the importance of keeping traditions alive for future generations.