Please, just give it back.
That’s the request from a Prince Albert mother whose son lost his pow wow regalia when it was stolen from his truck over the weekend.
Leander Dreavers’ regalia was in a red suitcase with a Canadian maple leaf and a Gathering of Nations 2024 sticker on it when it was stolen while his truck was parked on 10th Street East. Some parts of the regalia belonged to his father, who was also a pow wow dancer, while others, like the beadwork, were created by his mother, Jessica Rabbitskin.
Since the theft, Rabbitskin has taken to social media hoping to find some way to get the regalia back.
“We don’t have any bad energy or vibes to whoever took it,” she said during a phone interview on Tuesday. “We just hope that they have a change of heart and give it back. I hope they understand how much it really means.”
Dreavers’ regalia includes beadwork Rabbitskin created herself. Some of it, she began working on before her son was even born.
She said the theft not only prevents her son from dancing, it prevents people who attend pow wows from enjoying his performances. Rabbitskin said he is extremely upset.
“It really is frustrating and it’s hurtful,” she added. “It’s sad. It’s a like a big part is gone. It’s what he does. His pow wow regalia is what he does. His dance, it’s his culture, it’s his spirit healing, it’s his educational journey, it’s all of it put together. It’s everything to him.”
Dreaver and Rabbitskin are members of Big River First Nation. The community hosted their annual pow wow on Tuesday, and Dreaver originally planned to dance in it.
Rabbitskin said her son is very active on the pow wow circuit, having performed in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. He also participates in sweats, round dances, and other cultural events.
“He has a lot of pow wow family,” she said. “He is respected and looked up to, even though he is only 17 years old.”
Despite the frustration, Rabbitskin is optimistic there will be a happy ending.
“I am hopeful,” she said. “I’m leaving that good vibe out there that somebody will return it in some way, that it won’t be split apart, that it will come back to him all together.”
The Prince Albert Crime Stopper has asked the public to keep an eye out for the regalia. According to the press release, the regalia was in a in a red suitcase when it was stolen from the East Flat part of Prince Albert.
Anyone with information about the theft can call the Prince Albert Police Service at 306-953-2222 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
