The Poundmaker powwow is going back to its roots and that means free food and games for its guests.
Poundmaker's Lodge Treatment Centre is holding its annual powwow this weekend. The event, which returned in 2008 after a long hiatus, is expected to draw about 5,000 people to the lodge's main building just outside of St. Albert for two days of aboriginal music and dance.
This will be a traditional non-competitive powwow, says powwow committee chair Thelma Chalifoux, meaning it won't have the fierce competition and cash prizes of past ones.
Powwows were traditionally a chance for families to get together and socialize, Chalifoux notes, but have become more focused on prize money as of late. "We're going back to the way it used to be."
Instead of big prizes, Chalifoux says, all dancers and drummers at the event will receive an honorarium, while guests who camp out overnight will receive a small ration of food — typically bannock ingredients. This is a call-back to the old days where families would travel many miles to come to a powwow, arriving with little money or food. "The community came together to provide the necessities so nobody went hungry."
Guests will also see a new children's teepee on the grounds, where kids can learn to play traditional aboriginal games. Traditional crafts and food will also be on sale.
"When you're suffering from addiction you lose your family, you lose your identity, and you lose your spirit," Chalifoux says. Residents at Poundmaker's can use the powwow as a chance to get together with their relatives and restore that family unit.
The powwow runs this Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 10 p.m. at 1 Poundmaker Rd. Call Alvina Lake at 780-458-1884 for details.
Athletic kick-off
This year's powwow will also help kick off the first Alberta Indigenous Games, notes Don Langford, chair of the board at Poundmaker's. The event, which will involve about 500 aboriginal athletes from across Canada, is holding registration and its opening ceremony at the powwow on Sunday.
The grand chiefs of Treaties 6, 7 and 8 are expected to be there, says Allan Ross, executive director of the games, as are representatives from Edmonton, the province and the Enoch First Nation. Powwow dancers will also dance a tribute to the athletes.
Sports and physical fitness are an integral part of the aboriginal way of healing, Langford notes, and a core part of addictions treatment at Poundmaker's. "It allows [people] to shine within our community," he said, and teaches them how to get natural highs. "You do need that physical activity to keep your body and mind healthy."
The opening ceremonies run from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Call Ross at 780-937-6011 for any questions on the games. See page 14 for more coverage.
