NEWTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Despite the stormy weather on Monday, it didn't keep people from celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day in Newton.
In fact, organizers said the rain is actually viewed as a spiritual cleansing.
That said, the nor'easter did cause the event to be moved inside Newton North High School.
The event's theme this year was 'Honoring Our Drums - The Heartbeat of Mother Earth.'
Featuring music, dance, food, and cultural performances, the gathering focused on the drum as a symbol of the heartbeat of both the Earth and Indigenous nations.
Hiawatha Brown, a member of the Rhode Island Narragansett Tribe, was one of the spectators.
Normally, he's one of the event's organizers, but this year, he came just to watch. "This is awesome," he said. "You get a different view of things when you don't have responsibilities on your shoulders or looming over your head."
He said he was happy to see the continuity of the event continuing each year with all the vendors and participants. "You see the variety of culture, tradition, and ceremony all in the same room."
WBZ NewsRadio's Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.