Back on the powwow trails

Page 4

People and Places

Oki. How has everyone been? I know, we haven't spoke for the longest time. I have been keeping myself pretty busy, going from powwow to powwow. Most of the summer I have been just travelling in and around the Edmonton area.

Let me start with the first powwow I visited, Poundmaker Lodge 25th anniversary powwow. Well, it turned out pretty good, but you know what the Creator always has in store for Poundmaker - rain! When we arrived, they were performing a ceremony, which I didn't know until they let the eagle go. The story I heard about that eagle was that someone had found it and both it's wings had been broken. The people at Poundmaker's Lodge cared for it until it was strong enough to go on it's own. It was pretty amazing and a feeling of pride filled up inside me.

The next stop was Enoch, which was a surprise and a half. The turn out was great. It's funny, I didn't even know about it until Thursday night. Can you believe that? I used to know every event going on in Alberta. Now, I don't even know, so this maybe an opportunity for you people to keep me informed.

I went to Onion Lake powwow. The people from there know how to put up a good powwow. I volunteered my services to record for CFWE. (Remember last year at Driftpile?) Well, this time around I knew what I was doing and I think I recorded some good powwow music. I met up with Ray Blackwater from Standoff. He was invited to this powwow to initiate Brian Waskewitch into the Chicken Dance society. You know the chicken dance has been around for years, but it's just coming back with such a force, makes me proud to be Blackfoot.

Someone told me this joke, I can't tell you this person's name because I forgot. Here it goes There was this Indian couple who were getting their divorce finalized. After court, they were leaving and the woman tells the man, "so are we still cousins?"

Tee hee. Was that a good one?

Now, onto Tsuu T'ina Powwow. It was hot, hot and more hot!! It was so hot that I only danced at the nighttime on Saturday and Sunday. I was so proud of myself because I actually danced (without screwing up) and finished the Ojibway round dance. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's the jingle dress dance.

A friend of mine told me if I had any Ojibway in the my blood. I asked why he is asking me that, he said my style of dance is like the Ojibway style. I thought that was the best compliment I ever received. It was my goal as a dancer to dance the Ojibway style. Thanks for the compliment, Vince!!

On Aug. 1, my brother Hector got married. Congratulations, Hector and Rhonda!