Head north for powwow

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The Heart Lake and Beaver Lake First Nations are teaming together this year for a competition powwow in Lac La Biche.

The powwow will run from July 31 to Aug. 2 and is expected to draw hundreds of competitors from across North America.

Prize money for the competition powwow - the first one in Lac La Biche for over 30 years - offers participants 50,000 reasons to enter.

"We've always had successful powwows at Beaver Lake," said co-ordinator James Gladue. "We expect this one to be even better."

In a private ceremony in late May, chiefs from Beaver Lake and Heart Lake blessed the ground which will hold the powwow arena, and on June 22, the center pole of the arena was set up in another special ceremony.

The competition powwow is being held in conjunction with the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days summer festival. For the long weekend, the town will be filled with colorful Aboriginal regalia, baseball, talent shows, fiddling contests, a fishing derby, children's' activities, a midway, fireworks and sailboat races.

There are camping sites and cabins available at the First Nations and Metis settlements around Lac La Biche as well as in the surrounding areas.

For more information on the competition powwow or to enter, contact James Gladue at (403) 623-4549 or 623-3216 or Richard Monias at the Heart Lake First Nation at 623-2130 or 623-4744.