The drum beats on at 23rd annual International Peace Pow-wow – Lethbridge | 24CA News
It’s the beginning of the powwow path. The booming drum beat, dancers and conventional regalia stuffed the ENMAX Centre this weekend for the twenty third annual International Peace Pow-wow in Lethbridge.
“Throughout the winter months, this one’s gotta be one of our biggest powwows, and we certainly enjoy all visitors that come from both United States and Canada,” mentioned Arnold Mountain Horse, an elder, founding committee member of the Pow-Wow, and very long time drummer and singer.
Hosted by Siksikaitsitapi, the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Peace Pow-wow brings collectively practically 400 dancers and hundreds of attendees. The Blackfoot Confederacy spans a lot of southern Alberta, Montana, and elements of BC and Saskatchewan.
“It’s very important to have our elders and our youth come together,” mentioned Mountain Horse.
“It’s all about preserving our culture,” mentioned Chandler Scout, this years Head Man Dancer. “Back then, we never really had this — we were trapped on reserves for a long time, and it was introduced into the powwow circuit for us to come together and celebrate (off the reserve) without discrimination.”
Scout mentioned regalia and dance model inform the tales of ancestors.
“Everything has meaning,” mentioned Scout. “I’m a Northern Traditional Dancer, so basically a warrior, a storyteller, and hunter and gatherer.”
Each dance style has a unique sort of regalia.
Megan Grosventreboy was the Head Woman Dancer this 12 months — she does Women’s Traditional Dance.
“The dress I’m wearing is actually passed down to me. It was a gift to me from Isis Red Elk from Wyoming, and she had drove it up here to deliver it to me,” mentioned Grosventreboy. “That is a great honour for me because I’m given something that she was wearing in her younger years and I get to carry on that traditional dance in her regalia.”
One day she is going to get to go that data and costume on to her youngsters.
The Pow-wow path continues into the summer season. It’s a chance for anybody to study extra and have fun Indigenous tradition.
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