Little Red River Cree Nation held their annual Keeping Families Together traditional powwow on July 24-26, bringing plenty of dancers and drums to the community to celebrate culture.
“Powwow to me, is celebration of our tradition, culture and ceremonies,” Montreal Lake Cree Nation Councillor Charmaine Ermine of the Little Red River sector said when asked about what powwow means to her.
Montreal Lake Indian Reserve 106A was split in 1948, creating Little Red River Reserve 106C for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, and Montreal Lake Cree Nation 106B.
The community of Little Red Reserve is split, with both Lac La Ronge members and Montreal Lake members residing.
The theme of this year’s event is ‘Keeping Families Together’ which is what Little Red River and Montreal Lake Prevention Services aims to do, helping families stay together, bringing members back into their families from foster care.
“Powwow is very important to our community because it brings visitors in, not only visitors, but family,” Ermine explained.
Other communities will travel to the Little Red River powwow, and in turn, Montreal Lake and Little Red River, will travel to those communities to visit with family and friends.
“I just come here because I like going to new places to dance. I know a few people that are from here, that live here, and people in the area,” said Gary Gott, who is a men’s traditional dancer visiting from Treaty Four Sapotaweyak Cree Nation in Manitoba.
Gott explained that he enjoys going to competition powwows to hear the contest drums, but he also remembers to balance out his ratio of traditional to competition powwows.
“Sometimes you have to get reminders of why I started dancing, and talking to rookies, first-timers, and beginners. It really brings back that spirit and reminds me,” said Gott.
A traditional powwow usually has a drumming, singing, and sometimes, a women’s back-up singing contest. Traditional powwows do not have a dancing contest, where all the top dancers take home large cash prizes, but dancers are paid a lesser amount, all dancers being paid daily.
Specials still take place at traditional powwows, which give dancers who choose to compete, an opportunity to take home a little more cash.
Gott said he has travelled to many powwows this year, including Fort Peck in Wolf Point Montana, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara, also known as MHA, and Turtle Mountain in North Dakota.
He said he enjoys the visiting aspect of the powwow, seeing new and old friends, and making new friends. He also shared that sometimes in traditional powwows, the schedule and weather create uncertainty, which helps him to live in and appreciate the present.
Gott explained that he felt something in the flag song back in 1989, that stirred emotions within him. When the victory song followed, he said that something made him want to move, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it, since powwow dancing was not a practice on his reserve, Sapotweyak, due to colonization.
“I think it just chose me, just the way you move and your personality, I guess. Good vibes,” he explained.
