The annual Heart of Youth Community Powwow returns virtually after a one year hiatus due to COVID-19 on Friday, May 28, which is also Community Powwow Day in Prince Albert. Although the format is different, Elder Liz Settee is pleased to see it returning as a virtual event,
“It’s good to keep the momentum of the Powwow going with the virtual Powwow although it’s definitely going to be different from Kinsmen Park,” Settee said
“At least it is happening. We didn’t have anything last year.
The committee thought that it was important that we do something this year,” Settee added.
She is expecting to go through her regular emotions the day of the Powwow.
“(I am) Very excited, also nervous, but I am also nervous the morning of the powwow. I think it is just part and parcel to putting on something so big,” Settee said.
According to Settee, the organizing committee discussed holding the powwow at Kinsmen Park and had booked a tent for the occasion already.
“ And then as the numbers went up it was ‘no, we have to find another way to do it,’ and so I canceled the tent and the other things that I already booked and we decided to go virtual and we found Big Drum Media,” she explained.
She explained that for the production they wrote a script and had to space out the Grand Entry because of COVID-19 regulations. They will appear in the normal order of flags, committee and community members and then dancers, which was filmed over several hours by the production company.
“It was all done at different times but it is going to look like it was all one.”
The event was also recognized with an official proclamation of May 28 as Community Pow Wow Day at City Council’s regular meeting on Monday. Settee said that Mayor Greg Dionne has already passed on the Certificate of Proclamation for the day ahead of the meeting.
“They are recognizing the day, they have already recognized that when the committee approached city council they all agreed this was important so it’s a done deal now,” she said.
Settee said it was nice to receive such positive feedback from the city.
The Powwow will be available on the PA Outreach and CBYF Prince Albert YouTube pages beginning at 9:35 a.m. with the sponsor roll and then the Powwow opens at 10 am.
Settee hopes to see the Powwow return to normal next year.
“This way we can keep everybody safe and next year I just hope and pray that we are back in Kinsmen Park. I think we are going to be stronger next year,” she said.
“And I think being on YouTube with it reaching further and wider is going to help.”
