Young dancer with limited mobility moves crowd at Kahkewistahaw powwow | 24CA News
From incapacity to potential, Keaton Constant is breaking away from the stigma along with his ardour for powwow dancing.
The eight-year-old boy from Wahpeton Dakota Nation is an avid powwow dancer who isn’t permitting his situation of femoral focal deficiency and congenital coronary heart illness stand in his manner.
Over the weekend, Keaton and his father Kirby travelled to Kahkewistahaw First Nation to bop in the neighborhood’s annual powwow. During the junior boys conventional class, a blanket was positioned on the bottom for Keaton to bop with out the help of his father.
“In no way was I expecting what happened to happen,” stated Kirby. “All I wanted was Keaton to dance because he just likes dancing so much.”
The highlight was on Keaton who stole the hearts of many onlookers as they positioned cash on his blanket. Kirby stated this tradition is laying down an providing at your favorite dancer’s toes to bless the cash. That cash is often collected by the world director and given to an elder within the crowd. Instead, the world director gathered the cash and gifted all of it to Keaton.
“That was a gift (to) help us travel down the road so that we can go to more celebrations,” he stated. “That humbled me and makes me feel that what we’re doing is making people feel good … we’re here as a people together.”
As individuals continued to put cash on Keaton’s blanket, Kirby seen a line of males who stood behind him as a manner of honouring the younger dancer.
“It’s an emotion of being overwhelmed of gratitude and love and honor and pride,” stated Kirby. “Proud to be nehiyaw (Cree) … proud to be in this moment to share with everyone else that Keaton is making everybody feel good.”
It’s been a 12 months since Keaton has joined the powwow circle. Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he was gifted a brand new camper trailer so he can journey to powwows to sing and dance as he needs.
So far, Keaton has attended over 15 powwow celebrations all through North America and has even danced on this planet’s largest powwow, the Gathering of Nations held in Albuquerque, N.M. Kirby helps his son dwell life to his biggest potential.
“Knowing that he’s allowed into the circle and with his limitations … that he’s still welcomed in and not shunned or being shied away,” he stated.
“Every time he dances, it just brings a soft spot in my heart. I get all choked up all the time because he’s not supposed to be here (but) he survived and he’s living his best life.”
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