Uko Akpanuko
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Daily Herald
The Heart of the Youth Community Pow Wow 2025 edition was held amidst pomp, fun, and pageantry at the Kinsmen Park on Friday.
The event used the two spirit drum to open as it was accompanied by dancers. Nicole Matheis, an organizing committee member from Communities Building Youth Futures Prince Albert (CBYFPA) said the pow wow was a great way to invest in the community’s youth.
“We always say the youth are our future and with these community events that are celebrating culture and our community, we’re really able to uplift them and encourage them to continue on in a good way as they continue on through life,” Matheis said. “At this pow wow, anyone can come and dance. It’s an opportunity to learn. It’s an opportunity to grow. It’s just an opportunity for youth to come together with their peers and learn something.”
Different schools were invited and they brought quite a good number of students to be part of the pow wow.
Matheis said they were nervous about holding the event in a new location, but it worked out great.
“We didn’t know exactly what it will look like, going to somewhere new, but it’s turned out to be such a beautiful space,” Matheis said. “The trees offer some shade and we are all close together and the amphitheater has been a great spot for the drummers. Overall it’s been great being at this location and we’re excited for it to continue.”
This year’s event will be the last for Elder Liz Settee, founding member of the Heart of the Youth Pow Wow. Settee is stepping aside this year, and Matheis said they are sad to see her go.
“Liz has been such an important part of the heart of the community pow wow,” Matheis said. “She is a founding member. This pow wow wouldn’t exist without her and I know we will probably still see her around, I’m hoping, just not on the committee, and that’s okay.
“Their goal starting the committee and starting the Heart of the Youth Pow Wow was they wanted to see youth come and lead. We are now getting to that point with Communities Building Youth Futures. We have some youth on the community and we’re going to continue trying to find youth to sit on the committee and really make this space their own. Liz see that that’s important—that we have youth leaders and that youth are leading this pow wow.”
Settee said it’s “extremely heartwarming” to see how far the pow wow has come.
“We started in 2017 and the participation from not only the schools but the community businesses and everything that just step up and contribute–our sponsor—it seems every year there are more and more people,” Settee said.
“We have included the two spirits in the community, so it makes my heart very happy that this is something that will continue.”
