More than 3,000 people attended the second annual Heart of the Youth Powwow held in Prince Albert on May 24. (Brady Bateman/paNOW Staff)

By Brady Bateman

Heart of the Youth

Heart of the Youth Powwow brings community together

May 24, 2019 | 2:00 PM

The annual Heart of the Youth Powwow returned to Prince Albert Friday, and saw nearly 3,000 attendees flood Kinsmen Park to take part in the celebrations.

According to organizer Liz Settee, annual powwows had been organized by various community school coordinators, which involved students and youth participation. At this time coordinators for either school division within the city no longer exist, which lead to the formation of an organizing committee headed by Settee through P.A. Outreach.

“Last year the school-run powwows ceased to exist, so I got some community members together and we organized the Heart of the Youth Powwow. We were going to do it every second year, and we expected between 800 to 900 people last year and we had over 1,800 show up,” Settee said. “We were told after that we would have to do it every year, so we started planning right away for this year. We expect to have more than 3,000 people here today.”

Settee explained the importance of the day, noting that it is a way to share culture between community members, while also allowing children to spend a day without worries and simply enjoying themselves.

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“It brings the community together, and it lets kids be kids. So many of the youth that I work with have so many struggles in their young lives, and they are worried about going home or getting their next meal – today they can just be kids and have fun,” she said. “The school divisions are coming together, the community is coming together and I think that is something we should all strive for. It seems that we have a disconnect, and we need to find a way to reconnect because it really takes a community to raise a child.”

Settee also added that she hopes to see more than 4,000 people in attendance of next year’s powwow, scheduled for May 22, 2020.

A large part of the powwow was the traditional dancing, with a wide variety of dancing techniques and traditional regalia.

“It’s a way to come together, celebrate and to have friendship,” Carla Omani, Principal of Wahpeton Dakota Nation School said. She attended the event with several dancers.

Women participated in a traditional Jingle Dance during the Heart of the Youth Powwow held in Prince Albert on May 24. (Brady Bateman/paNOW Staff)

“The drum that is being played is like the heartbeat of Mother Earth. When the drummers are singing, we’re dancing to the heartbeat of Mother Earth. As we are dancing, it’s like a ceremony the dancers dance to help heal people. Each dance represents a story.”

Omani explained the importance of varying dances, such as the Ladies’ Traditional, which Omani performs.

“Ladies Traditional dancers represent the grandmothers and the knowledge keepers. Without the mother we wouldn’t have other people. The grandmothers are the ones that pass on knowledge,” Omani said.

“The Men’s Traditional, or Boy’s Traditional, they are seen as hunters or warriors, so when they dance they show the stories of their hunts and of their victories. The traditional women are there to show their support and pray with them as well while they dance.”

Other dances performed included Jingle Dances, Grass Dances and Fancy Dances.

“We’re thankful to the committee for honouring our community, and all the surrounding communities in this way,” Omani said. “It’s so great seeing all the schools being involved. It’s just awesome to see that here.”

Carla Omani, Principal of Wahpeton Dakota Nation School, shows off her traditional regalia at the Heart of the Youth Powwow held in Prince Albert on May 24. (Brady Bateman/paNOW Staff)

One of the key aspects of the event was the involvement of youth, and engaging them in traditional dances, music and culture, as well as allowing students from varying cultural backgrounds the ability to interact with each other through these mediums.

Natasha Isaac, a Grade 8 teacher with Riverside Public School, attended with her students, and told paNOW how valuable this event was as an educational resource.

“For me, this is a time to be proud of who you are as an Indigenous person. I do have a high number of students who are Indigenous, but I do have students who are from the Philippines as well, so it gives us an opportunity to have those conversations with each other and learn about each other,” Isaac said. “I like to come down and teach the kids, to teach them about the powwow, about the regalia and about the respect that you should have while you’re on these grounds. It’s amazing to see them come out and enjoy themselves and celebrate.”

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brady.bateman@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TheDigitalBirdy