Joining the Circle

Derek Barnaby
November 3, 2011
Listuguj

"I couldn't believe the emotions that were within"

Derek Barnaby, Mi'qmaq

At the age of 19, Derek Barnaby attended a gathering of elders in Peterborough, Ontario. Watching them dance in a circle to the sound of the drum, he experienced an intense emotion, like a call, the beginning of a rebirth. Back home, he asked his friend Dennis from Saskatchewan to help him make his regalia. The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months, and Dennis taught him much more than techniques. He passed on his story, his knowledge of life and his wisdom. The following year, Derek returned to Peterborough. The elders welcomed him. He danced in a circle and hasn’t stopped since.