Wow! What a powwow!

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Driftpile First Nations Chief Dean Giroux, middle, leads the grand entry, with Donnie Mac of Onion Lake, Sask, left, and Elwood D. Badger of Sturgeon Lake.
Driftpile First Nations Chief Dean Giroux, middle, leads the grand entry, with Donnie Mac of Onion Lake, Sask, left, and Elwood D. Badger of Sturgeon Lake.

Richard Froese
Spotlight

Hundreds celebrated aboriginal culture at the third annual Driftpile Competitive Powwow, held June 24-26. Colourful outfits, drummers and singers delighted the crowds in the arbour as community leaders, dignitaries and flags led the grand entry for each of four powwows. Some 350 dancers were registered from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, USA states of Washington, Oregon, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and country of Mexico. Many of the people travel on the annual powwow circuit. Besides drum competition, Dancers competed in Men’s Chicken Special, Women’s Jingle Special (18 years and older), Team Dance Special and Men’s Buckskin. Tiny Tots, Juniors, Teens, Junior Adults, Senior Adults, and Golden Age competed in traditional, fancy, grass and jingle in women’s and men’s categories.

Whitefish Juniors group was the host drum for the weekend celebration.
Whitefish Juniors group was the host drum for the weekend celebration.
Two young boys, left-right, Liam Paddy, 6, and Kisymis Scaddyrobe, 7, of Saskatoon get ready to join the grand entry.
Two young boys, left-right, Liam Paddy, 6, and Kisymis Scaddyrobe, 7, of Saskatoon get ready to join the grand entry.
The womens jingle dress dancers participate in the grand entry.
The womens jingle dress dancers participate in the grand entry.
Russell Cardinal of Surrey, B.C. points to the sky during the grand entry.
Russell Cardinal of Surrey, B.C. points to the sky during the grand entry.
Girls were colourful in the grand entry of the powwow.
Girls were colourful in the grand entry of the powwow.
The men's grass dancers in the grand entry of the powwow.
The men’s grass dancers in the grand entry of the powwow.
Young children join the adults with colorful outfits into the grand entry.
Young children join the adults with colorful outfits into the grand entry.

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