Whoop-Up Days pow wow a display of Indigenous culture
By Steffanie Costigan - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on August 25, 2023.
The Lethbridge & District Siksikaitsitapi Pow Wow was staged in front of big crowds at the Agri-Food Hub & Trade Centre on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.The pow wow consisted of 253 competitors of all ages doing traditional Indigenous dancing from traditional to fancy, grass, chicken, and for the women, traditional, fancy, and jingle.
Chief executive officer of the Blackfoot Confederacy tribal council, Jack Royal, shared the significance of the pow-wow and the recognition of working together.
“Well, today’s pow wow was very significant on a number of fronts,” Royal said on the first day of the event.
“As I mentioned in my opening comments there, I think we’re strengthening and continuing to build relationships with the people of Lethbridge. And I think the Lethbridge Exhibition District Society recognizes that there’s a need to work together, that we’re all here to help each other,” said Royal.
Paula Weasel Head said there was a great turnout and it brought awareness of culture to the community.
“I think it’s great super turnout of different tribal nations coming together, but also the community as a whole – the community in Lethbridge and surrounding communities coming in partaking in the festivities and seeing firsthand what a pow-wow is, all the different dance styles. And just the beauty of it,” said Weasel Head.
Royal expressed the need for awareness and education in order for Lethbridge citizens, along with Blackfoot Confederacy people, to aim towards social cultural programs.
“There’s a need to have this awareness and education and understanding of how we can help all of our members, our City of Lethbridge citizens, and people of the Blackfoot Confederacy to work towards a common goal of social, political, economic, cultural, and other programs.”
Weasel Head said the variety of individuals attending the pow-wow is bringing awareness of the different cultural groups.
“I really hope that brings about more awareness, bridging the different cultural gaps and the different cultural groups knowing that there’s not just Blackfoot, we have Lakota’s, we have Cree people, we have Ho-Chunk people that are from the States, we have people here that are coming from different areas of our country.”
Royal gave credit to the Lethbridge Exhibition for trailblazing the way in a historic partnership with the Blackfoot Confederacy.
“I think it’s important, this is inaugural, and so I give the Lethbridge Exhibition credit for trailblazing, because it’s never been done. So, it’s in essence, it’s a historical moment, and there’s been a long history with the City of Lethbridge and the Blackfoot Confederacy.”
Weasel Head expressed her hope for people to recognize there is more to Indigenous people and culture.
“I’m really hoping to see for the non-native community to get a visual and see – I hate to put it like this – but to see that our people that are lost on the streets that’s not just who we are. It’s a part of who we are. But we have people who hold masters, who hold different types of degrees, who are lawyers, doctors, and they all partake in these festivities.”
Royal expressed the importance of the youth in the pageant to be able to learn their cultural beliefs and the spirit the pow-wow is filled with.
“The kids and the pageantry, I think they feel, you can feel the energy in there. Even if you’re standing in, once you’re in the middle of it, such as they were, it’s even more impactful. It’s important for them to know where they come from, as I said, to know our history, our culture, our language, our practices, our cultural beliefs, and have that identity so that they can take that forward in a good way moving forward and be able to, to use it in a constructive fashion.”
Jerrhan First Charger, the world champion hoop dancer, shared his excitement at competing in the pow-wow and explained the stories told through dancing and how they impact everyone.
“Never forget why you dance. And never, I never stopped dancing because it helps you as you’re telling the story when you dance all the time. And when you stop dancing, you stop telling that story. So, it’s not just competition, but it’s telling a story. Wherever you dance impacts your life and impacts our life,” said First Charger.
Royal shared the importance of showcasing Indigenous culture, adding the spirit the pow wow is bringing in the new building is like a blessing.
“It’s important to not only showcase the culture, and you can feel the energy and the spirit in there. One of the things I forgot to mention it’s a good way to start off a new building, it’s almost a blessing.”
Royal voiced the healing this is bringing to the Blackfoot community and also for the Lethbridge community.
“I think this is a good way for everybody to heal, including the city of Lethbridge, the Blackfoot Confederacy, and in our members in Alberta and our surrounding communities. It’s creating awareness. It’s creating some education and understanding, and you know, hopefully, we’re all taking ownership on how we can provide tools for each other to move forward.”
Paula Smith, executive assistant for the Blackfoot Confederacy intergovernmental relations, said before the grand entry on Wednesday that there were vendors along with the competition pow wow that had $65,000 in prize money up for grabs.
There were more than dozen different categories in the competition, Smith said.
“There’s all kinds of dancers from all over the territory as well visitors coming in from the Cree territory” and from the South, she said.
Individual outfits and regalia are built and developed in their own way…”sometimes designs come as dreams or are handed down,” said Smith, whose granddaughter will have the same design as her daughter’s.
“When you’re competing, it’s not just about dancing but it’s about how much you put you put into your regalia, your outfit,” said Smith, noting hours and hours of labour are put into the outfits.
Smith said the new facility “is great. I want to congratulate LDE on their success with the CEO as well as his staff. They did amazing work,” said Smith ,also citing the work of pow wow, pageant and vendor committees.
Organizers hope to get more dancers, drummers and vendors in coming years, she said. 2
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