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For some powwow is a family affair

Oct 6, 2018 | 4:55 PM

The Art Hauser Centre is a kaleidoscope of colour attracting some 7,000 visitors for a dazzling festival of dance and music.

The Northern Lights Casino Thanksgiving Powwow, in its nineteenth year , has brought people from all over Saskatchewan and western Canada to Prince Albert.

Many performers are taking part in the event which runs until tomorrow, including Sunshine Dreaver, a local resident. Dreaver said the event has a lot going for it.

“It’s awesome to have family come in from all over the place, and you know come stay, and it’s Thanksgiving, so it works out perfect, being grateful for family and culture,” she said.

Dreaver has been dancing since she was eleven years old. Her family, including her daughter, mother father and other relatives regularly attend and take part in powwows across the prairies.   

“It’s a family affair, so we always travel together all over Saskatchewan and Alberta and Manitoba every year,” she said.

Besides being with family, Dreaver said the event itself and how it brings people out is something she believes in.

“I just think it’s so important… and to have other people come and enjoy watching the powwow is really amazing,” she said.

Dreaver’s mother Sharon Baptiste, also danced at the powwow this weekend. Baptiste, who hails from Pound Maker, originally started dancing when she was younger before getting into basketball. After injuring her knee playing that sport 15 years ago, she got back into dancing.

Baptiste said it can be difficult for a community to put on a powwow and explained Prince Albert has done a good job attracting dancers and drummers to take part. She as well had kind words for the group which put on the event.

“Northern Lights, along with the other Casino powwows have done really well giving back to the people, in our culture they say you know when you take you give back, and this is one of the ways the casino powwows have been giving back,” she said.

Baptiste remarked she was happy to see many people who were non-Indigenous coming to take part in the event, and to learn about a different culture. She added at the inter-tribal Grand Entry there were two women from India who were involved and interested in learning.

“I am just happy that there’s a lot of people taking part,” she said.

 

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow