“Does anyone know why the eagle is so important in Aboriginal culture?” Jason Mullins, dressed in full Cherokee regalia, asked a riveted audience of mostly Muslim community members at Knox Presbyterian Church on April 13.

Mullins, an American-born First Nations cultural interpreter who works with the Ottawa organization Aboriginal Experiences, was one of many Aboriginal artists to offer his time and talent to support the Islam Care Centre's fundraising efforts.

On Monday, March 25th, a group of people gathered around a muddy road, making their way to an Algonquin heritage site called Victoria Island, in Ottawa. The smell of tobacco and smoke filled the air, and loud drumming and chanting could be heard from a distance. There was excitement in the air.