Igbo Association In Canada Celebrates New Yam Festival

OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Igbo cultural Association of Edmonton has celebrated the inaugural Yam Festival amidst pomp and pageantry on Saturday, August 6, 2022 in Edmonton, Canada.

The Igbo Cultural Association of Edmonton (ICAE) founded in 2002, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Igbo people in Edmonton and its environs. ICAE has over the years been a uniting platform for many immigrants of Igbo descent and their families who live in Edmonton and surrounding cities.

ICAE provides a unique platform through which the Igbos express their unique identity while promoting the Canadian multicultural mosaic. ICAE’s mission includes:
• to promote Igbo language and culture through Igbo language school, Iri Ji festival, cultural dances, Igbo music including Igbo Choir, and other Igbo cultural events
• to advance Igbo community interest in Edmonton and its vicinity
• to promote the welfare of members including children, youths, and families
• to support Edmonton’s cultural diversity through active contact and collaboration with other cultural associations; and
• to enhance healthy community interactions through cultural, social, and economic activities.

The Igbos are predominantly from the eastern part of Nigeria. They make up a large part of the African ethnocultural group of immigrants in Edmonton.

The Iri Ji (New Yam) celebration is one of the profound cultural celebrations of the Igbo people both in their homeland and in the diaspora. The celebration marks the beginning of the yearly harvest of ji (yam) – a food crop of great significance in Igboland. ICAE’s maiden Iri Ji celebration was held on August 6, 2022.

The highlights of the celebration include Iwa Ji (Cutting New Yam), traditional masquerade performances, different traditional dances/music, yam-based delicacies, and other foods. It will be a glamorous occasion attended by many dignitaries and people from our province and beyond. All are invited to join ICAE in this celebration. Admission is free!