Flags are carried in, from each respective nation, into the arbour during Grand Entry.
Richard Froese Spotlight
Aboriginal culture was celebrated at the fourth annual Sucker Creek Powwow, held Aug. 13-14.
Colourful outfits, drummers and singers delighted the crowds in the arbour as community leaders, dignitaries and flags led the grand entry for each of three events.
Savannah Willier was crowned the Senior Princess.
Karma Bager was crowned the Junior Princess.
Dennessa Vaughn was crowned the Tiny Tots Princess.
Chief Jim Badger, council members, and elders were specially honoured in the wagon train that arrived in the first event on the Saturday.
“This powwow is held to commemorate the elders who have gone before us and to celebrate our culture,” Badger says.
“It’s also an opportunity for our youth to see and appreciate their culture.”
People travelled from all over Alberta, and various parts of Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Dignitaries also came from far and wide for Saturday afternoon, including Lesser Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee, Big Lakes County Reeve Ken Matthews and Town of High Prairie Linda Cox.
The powwow was held all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon, witht he dancers going well after the sun had set.
Sucker Creek Chief Jim Badger sits in a wagon as the wagon trades parades in council and elders before the Grand Entry on Saturday afternoonSamantha Kahanapace, 10, of Sturgeon Lake is in the Fancy dance catagory at the Sucker Creek pow wow.Sucker Creek Chief Jim Badger, second from right, stands with, left-right, High Prairie RCMP Cst. Anita Doktor, Allan Koski of the powwow committee, and Lakeshore Regional Police Service Cst. Dennis Kerr in the Grand Entry.Howard Bruneau of Grande Cache, dances with Golden Age men.Town of High Prairie Mayor Linda Cox, front left-right, and Lesser Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee walk in Grand Entry, as Big Lakes County Reeve Ken Matthews follows, back left.Girls and women in jingle dresses follow the procession in the Grand Entry on Saturday afternoon.Jason Bigcharles of East Prairie, dances in the adult category.Jeremiah Auger-Bigcharles, 2, of East Prairie, left-right, and Trista Courtoreille, 2, of Sturgeon Lake get ready to dance in Tiny Tots.Golden Age women, left-right, Mildred Supernault of East Prairie, Audrey Mitchell of Sturgeon Lake, Melva Cardinal of Duncan First Nation and Priscilla Sutherland of Grouard show their beautiful dresses.Wapastim Bellerose, left-right, and brother Mikisiw Bellerose beat the drum with uncle Denny Bellerose, all of Driftpile.The host drum Iron Swing of Sturgeon Lake (Saskatchewan) keeps to the beat.
