Pow Wow tradition returns to Swift Current on February 18-19
A return to a February Pow Wow is proving to be a successful formula for the Living Sky Casino’s Pow Wow.
The sixth Pow Wow hosted by the Living Sky Casino will be held on February 18 and 19 at the Stockade in Kinetic Park, with a full two days of events planned. In past years the casino tried to move away from a winter month event, where sometimes travel conditions aren’t ideal. However, participants have proven to be more receptive to an early year Pow Wow.
“When we moved into the summer we had trouble drawing people because there’s so many pow wows going on,” explained Trevor Marion, President of the Living Sky Casino’s Pow Wow host committee.
“We found that when we moved it to February that a lot of people loved it because it’s their first chance to dance the dust off of it, come out from the winter months and attend the first pow wow. That really helped us, and we get more people because of it.”
“For a lot of people that come from the US and some other places, this is the first pow wow in the new year. It’s kind of nice to be first in the books for a lot of people.”
Both days feature dancer categories in the Tiny Tots, Junior (age 7 to 12), Teen (age 13 to 17), Junior Adult (age 18 to 39), Senior Adult (40 to 54) and Golden Age (age 55 plus) age divisions. The Pow Wow will also feature a drum contest which has been a feature of past events.
There are grand entries scheduled for 11:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 18, plus 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 19.
Marion said these grand entires will be an opportunity to salute championship dancer Laryn Oakes. Oakes won the won the Women’s Fancy Shawl event at the inaugural Indian National Finals Pow Wow event in Las Vegas in late 2016. She will be the lead female dancer during each grand entry, and Saskatchewan’s Clifton Goodwill will be the male head dancer.
“We’re going to bring her honour that way because not every day you get to see a World Championship dancer,” he said of Oakes participation.
Marion, who is the General Manager of the Living Sky Casino, is also excited by the addition of Hand Games and a $10,000 payout to participants who are in the February 17 to 19 event.
“I’m excited about this one,” Marion said. “We’re kind of paying our respects to Hand Games. Hand Games is a traditional form of gambling for First Nations people. The gambled for belongings, for horses, that type of thing. It’s been around for a while.”
“It’s almost similar to an easy style of poker, but it’s done with sticks. It’s really interesting because there’s different songs that come with it.”
With teams travelling the circuit to participate in
Hand Games, this will be an exciting new event. People will be on hand to explain how the games are played, and interested individuals can get involved and give it a try, with the necessary items there to use, plus expertise to guide you through it.
“It’s an exciting addition. It’s our way of giving back to how First Nations gaming kind of first started. So it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Marion is hoping to have a strong turnout of both participants and spectators, with the event falling at the start of the Family Day Long Weekend.
“Come on in. Come and take a look. As everybody here knows, the colourful regalia, the dance, the energy that’s in there,” Marion said.
“There’s a lot of people that are dancing for those that can’t dance. They’re dancing for those that are sick. To come in and see that, and to pay honour to those that are dancing for them would be great.”