WHITE COWBOY STAMPEDE FOR OVER 100 YEARS
'Heartbeat of Mother Earth': Calgary Stampede hosts first powwow at SaddledomeThu, July 14, 2022
CALGARY — Men sit around large drums along the edges of the arena. Each group takes a turn drumming and singing.
The drum, described as the heartbeat of Mother Earth, provides rhythm for dancers in traditional regalia as they compete in Indigenous dances, including the men's chicken, the men's and women's fancy and the women's jingle.
Stampede-goers gather in seats normally filled by those watching concerts or sports games.
"This is the first powwow that we're hosting here at the Saddledome," Cheryl Crowchief, co-ordinator of the Calgary Stampede Powwow, said in an interview this week.
The Scotiabank Saddledome, named for its saddle-shaped roof, is home to the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League, the Calgary Hitmen in the Western Hockey League and the Calgary Roughnecks with the National Lacrosse League.
Crowchief said there is a powwow competition at Elbow River Camp, a village on the Stampede grounds that highlights local First Nations' cultures.
"But this year we brought it to the Saddledome and are hoping that the success we had at the village comes over here."
Crowchief said the larger venue allows more people to see some of the world's best powwow dancers and drummers.
"This is top, top, top people everywhere," she said. "We have people participating in the powwow from the United States, from all over Canada. It has gone worldwide."
The powwow started Tuesday and ends Thursday, as 20 dancers remaining in each category compete for a place in the top 10 and a cash prize. A total of $175,000 in prizes are to be handed out.
Some dancers said it's exciting to be back at a powwow after two years of COVID-19 public health measures. Some also expressed nervousness to be competing in such a large event.
Charles Woods, a senior men's traditional dancer from Siksika Nation, east of Calgary, said he's happy to be dancing again.
"It's a feeling that nobody can explain," he said. "The drum beats and the songs that are sung are very, very good healing songs. It's an uplift. The drum is the heartbeat of Mother Earth. When we dance, we dance to those songs."
Some competitors said being in the large arena, while much cooler than outside in the heat, is also a bit stressful.
"It's pretty nerve-racking," said Teagan Rabbit Carrier, also from Siksika Nation, who was competing in the junior contemporary jingle dance. "I am nervous, but I am here for a good time and to bring healing to my community."
Her regalia included a shimmering yellow dress and a colourful beaded headband.
"My Aunty Dawn ... made this outfit for me. I wanted a yellow dress so she made it sparkly," she said. "I have a green ribbon at the back of my dress to represent my late brother, Kristian Ayoungman, and my Aunty Gaylene."
Raylene Hunter, a senior women's traditional dancer from Onion Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, said her family competes across Canada and the United States and travels internationally to teach people about Indigenous culture.
She said it is her first time at the Stampede powwow.
"It's a little bit stressful ... but it's really exciting."
Hunter, who lives in Edmonton, said powwows are an important part of her culture but also play a role in her parenting style.
"My children learn that there's a way to conduct yourself when you are wearing these feathers, when you are wearing your regalia — to look after it," she said. "Those values that come with teaching your kids on how to respect themselves, how to respect what they are wearing and also just to respect themselves as women — to be mindful of what type of your environment and what kind of setting you are in.
"So, you are teaching them patience ... you are teaching them discipline. There are all kinds of values that come with teaching your kids on how to be the best person that you can possibly be — in or out of your outfit."
Hunter said powwow regalia also provides strength.
"My husband always says, 'When I put on my outfit, I feel like I'm my true warrior self,'" she said. "That's the same for women as well. When we put on our outfit, we are warrior women. We are protectors of our children, of our families, of our home fires."
Crowchief said powwows are an important part of Indigenous heritage.
"It's our way here in traditional Treaty 7 area to show people our culture, to share our culture and to educate," she said. "A powwow for us is a celebration, it's not a ceremony.
"It's a way for us to get together and celebrate life, celebrate the changing of the seasons, celebrate our kids. It's a family gathering to invite non-Indigenous people to join us and celebrate with us."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.
Colette Derworiz, The Canadian Press
Leah Omeasoo: The healing power of jingle dress dancing and powwow culture
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Leah says that from her understanding, the Jingle Dress is originally from the Ojibwe people of Ontario, parts of Manitoba, Minnesota, and Wisconsin and that each area has its unique variation to the origins of the dance. Still, one thing that remains consistent in the dance is healing and strength.
According to faculty research at the University of Minnesota, the Ojibwe people believe in the healing power of music and the jingles. They believe that spiritual power moves through the air. If you’ve ever been to a powwow, you’ve heard dozens of women dancing together in jingle dresses; it makes an incredible sound. The sound of the tinkling of jingle dresses is part of healing and it is very much in line with how Ojibwe people view the world and how they view spiritual power.
“The great thing about being a part of the powwow community is that everyone is supportive and makes significant long-lasting friendships,” said Leah.
She comes from a traditional family where practicing culture is very important. “This is our life,” she said. “This is how we were raised, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m grateful to my parents for raising me in the powwow circle.”
Leah aims to cultivate and raise her family in the powwow community and carry the family tradition.
She shared a compelling moment in her life when she was selected to be the 2011 Head Lady dancer at the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For those unaware of this gathering, it is one of North America’s largest and most recognizable powwows and has been going on for 39 years in New Mexico.
Leah’s love for the powwow culture reminds us that it’s important to be proud to be First Nations and that we have a rich culture with welcoming ceremonies.
Her message to the youth is: “Learn your language and culture because these two powerful strengths will lead and guide you through life. If you would like to know more about dancing or your culture, reach out to a dancer or singer and ask questions. There is help all around, just ask.”
“Everyone is welcome to join the powwow circle,” she added. “Come out and join us in celebration of song and dance.”
Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News
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ANNews) – Leah Omeasoo-Gillette is a member of Samson Cree Nation, one of four reserves that make up Maskwacis, AB. She is an educator in her community with a Bachelor of Education degree and is currently a Master of Education student at the University of Alberta. In addition, she is a well-known jingle dress dancer who has been crafting her dance since she was two years old.
Leah Omeasoo-Gillette comes from a prominent powwow family that has significantly contributed to the powwow culture. She is the daughter of Steve Wood and Hilda Omeasoo-Wood. Leah’s father, Steve Wood, 60, is the founder and drum keeper of the Northern Cree Singers, and the group has received 9 Grammy nominations.
At age six, Leah started dancing to a contemporary jingle dress. She successfully harnessed skills as a contemporary jingle dress dancer, and her dedication got her noticed within the powwow community.
In 2007, everything changed for Leah as she learned a new style of the jingle dress, commonly referred to as “old style” jingle dress dancing.
After attending a traditional powwow in Ontario and witnessing a jingle dress ceremony, she decided to start dancing to the older style of the jingle dress. Her first-time dancing “old style” jingle was at the Veterans powwow hosted at the Panel Memorial Agriplex in Maskwacis, AB.
Leah says the feedback from the elders in her community encouraged her to continue dancing this style.
“There are differences between the foot systems and how the dancers present themselves with their outfits,” she explained. “Contemporary regalia are very colourful, shiny, and flashy.
“They wear plumes and eagle feathers, while the older style of jingle dress is toned down and simple.
“The women keep their feet closer to the ground, and the steps are simple. The women do not carry or wear feathers.”
She incorporates sweetgrass, velvet, and beadwork in her work and dresses.
Leah Omeasoo-Gillette comes from a prominent powwow family that has significantly contributed to the powwow culture. She is the daughter of Steve Wood and Hilda Omeasoo-Wood. Leah’s father, Steve Wood, 60, is the founder and drum keeper of the Northern Cree Singers, and the group has received 9 Grammy nominations.
At age six, Leah started dancing to a contemporary jingle dress. She successfully harnessed skills as a contemporary jingle dress dancer, and her dedication got her noticed within the powwow community.
In 2007, everything changed for Leah as she learned a new style of the jingle dress, commonly referred to as “old style” jingle dress dancing.
After attending a traditional powwow in Ontario and witnessing a jingle dress ceremony, she decided to start dancing to the older style of the jingle dress. Her first-time dancing “old style” jingle was at the Veterans powwow hosted at the Panel Memorial Agriplex in Maskwacis, AB.
Leah says the feedback from the elders in her community encouraged her to continue dancing this style.
“There are differences between the foot systems and how the dancers present themselves with their outfits,” she explained. “Contemporary regalia are very colourful, shiny, and flashy.
“They wear plumes and eagle feathers, while the older style of jingle dress is toned down and simple.
“The women keep their feet closer to the ground, and the steps are simple. The women do not carry or wear feathers.”
She incorporates sweetgrass, velvet, and beadwork in her work and dresses.
Leah says that from her understanding, the Jingle Dress is originally from the Ojibwe people of Ontario, parts of Manitoba, Minnesota, and Wisconsin and that each area has its unique variation to the origins of the dance. Still, one thing that remains consistent in the dance is healing and strength.
According to faculty research at the University of Minnesota, the Ojibwe people believe in the healing power of music and the jingles. They believe that spiritual power moves through the air. If you’ve ever been to a powwow, you’ve heard dozens of women dancing together in jingle dresses; it makes an incredible sound. The sound of the tinkling of jingle dresses is part of healing and it is very much in line with how Ojibwe people view the world and how they view spiritual power.
“The great thing about being a part of the powwow community is that everyone is supportive and makes significant long-lasting friendships,” said Leah.
She comes from a traditional family where practicing culture is very important. “This is our life,” she said. “This is how we were raised, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m grateful to my parents for raising me in the powwow circle.”
Leah aims to cultivate and raise her family in the powwow community and carry the family tradition.
She shared a compelling moment in her life when she was selected to be the 2011 Head Lady dancer at the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For those unaware of this gathering, it is one of North America’s largest and most recognizable powwows and has been going on for 39 years in New Mexico.
Leah’s love for the powwow culture reminds us that it’s important to be proud to be First Nations and that we have a rich culture with welcoming ceremonies.
Her message to the youth is: “Learn your language and culture because these two powerful strengths will lead and guide you through life. If you would like to know more about dancing or your culture, reach out to a dancer or singer and ask questions. There is help all around, just ask.”
“Everyone is welcome to join the powwow circle,” she added. “Come out and join us in celebration of song and dance.”
Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News
The History of the Jingle Dress Dance
Published on AUG 12, 2020
By: Harper Estey
Throughout Indian Country, women and girls don their Jingle Dresses and mesmerize powwows as they move lightly, kicking out their heels and bouncing to the drumbeat. The dresses – also known as Prayer Dresses – are lined with rows and rows of metal cones, or ziibaaska’iganan, traditionally made from rolled up snuff can lids and hung from the dress. The cones create another melody as the dancers move, mimicking the sound of falling rain and bringing a sense of peace to the whole endeavor.
The dance itself began just over a century ago when the granddaughter of an Ojibwe medicine man fell sick. As the man slept he dreamt, over and over, of four women as his spirit guides wearing Jingle Dresses and dancing. The women taught the man how to make the dress, what songs to play, and how to perform the dance. The spirits told him that making the dress and performing the dance would make his granddaughter well.
When the man awoke he set out and made the dress, and once completed the tribe gathered to watch the ill girl dance. At first, she was too weak and had to be supported and carried by the tribe. Slowly she gained her strength and performed the dance on her own, cured of her sickness.
The young girl was likely infected with the flu pandemic of 1918 which hit Native communities around the Great Lakes hard. This was closely followed by a ban on ritual dancing on reservations, yet despite this the Jingle Dress dance spread from the Ojibwe people, first to the Lakota and then on to the rest of Indian Country.
Today the Jingle Dress Dance is performed at powwows across the country, with the women and girls often dancing with feather fans, eagle feather plumes, or eagle feathers in their hair. As the dress and dance have spread to tribes from coast to coast it’s grown to represent both healing and pride, a spiritual form of wellness and celebration that links us to our past and helps us move forward with strength and hope.
Adrian LaChance: Sharing culture and traditions on and off the powwow trail
Yesterday
(ANNews) – A good many people in Native country know Adrian LaChance as the man behind the mic, because he often serves as emcee for various round dances, community events and festivities. He’s also known as an educator/presenter at schools and conferences where he shares with Native and non-Native people alike, his knowledge of Native history, culture and traditions.
And while his popularity grows in those areas, LaChance is widely renowned as a powwow dancer, singer and drummer. He shines as a charismatic dancer in any powwow arena – you literally can’t take your eyes off him. He’s a bold, skilled and wonderful traditional dancer who originally hails from Saskatchewan but was transplanted to Edmonton.
LaChance stands out loud and clear in powwow circles. His colourful, well-crafted regalia is an attraction in itself and he is often the centre of attention for visiting photographers and videographers, myself included, who delight in capturing marvellous action images.
Be that as it may, it’s a wonder that an individual who grew up as he did, was able to overcome so many negatives handed to him in life, and emerge as an accomplished cultural individual, and also a kind person who walks that precious Red Road and gives so much of himself to and for the good of the community. But that’s Adrian – a good person, a kind man, and an upstanding role model for so many of Native country’s youth to appreciate and emulate. He sets a wonderful example for not only the youth, but adults as well.
And that’s just for starters. The teachings that he shares with the non-Native community is commendable and so important given the times we live in. In this present era of controversy, Adrian shares his wisdom and knowledge with the non-Indigenous community so they can better understand, appreciate, accept and respect Native people, including their lifestyles, culture and protocols.
LaChance’s early years were in a cultural vacuum. While being raised in group homes, he was one of many Indigenous children who were frequently subjected to damning innuendos, misinformation, and put-downs. He was taught that Native culture was akin to “devil worshipping.”
When people are told something repeatedly, they eventually come to believe it. It becomes so ingrained. Yet despite the colonialist concepts that attempted to “take the Indian out of the child,” LaChance was able to do a complete turn-around and recapture his historical customs and traditions.
“Because of what I was told as a child in those group homes,” said LaChance, “I was scared of powwow dancing and singing.” He grew up deprived of learning his roots and heritage but finally, at age twenty, LaChance attended and witnessed his very first powwow.
“Once I found the Elders and dancers who shared their truth about it, I felt comfortable learning more …. that it was beautiful and okay.”
It was those basic, simple truths that went on to set him free – free to pursue the culture he’d been denied, the culture he thirsted to know. Stolen from him throughout his young life, LaChance’s appetite for more of that knowledge simply exploded. He learned more, then more, including his long-denied traditions of singing and dancing. And what a transformation that turned out to be! He went on to become not just a dancer, but the champion dancer that he is today! Add to this his abilities at drumming, singing, facilitating cultural workshops and presentations, and you have a blessed individual who is graciously doing his own thing in a truly good way. He is sharing his knowledge and his skills for the betterment of all. How wonderful is that!
For years now, he’s been giving back, not just locally in Edmonton …. but all over the country!
LaChance’s character makes him stand out in a crowd and so does his regalia – thanks to his loving, caring grandmother, the late Eliza Running Thunder, who sewed for countless hours on end. Every stitch and every bead was filled with love.
“She was gifted with so much knowledge and wisdom,” LaChance explained. And, undoubtedly, she had a very positive influence on him in terms of helping others, valuing education and staying away from alcohol.
As for the powwow trail, it’s like his second home. LaChance loves sharing his skills and he dances in memory of his past mentors and Elders, all of whom helped make him the good person he is today.
“I honour them each time I dance,” he states matter-of-factly.
On the powwow circuit, he states, it’s a “beautiful energy …. the people are so nice and friendly. It gives my heart much joy and hope that we can overcome anything.”
Terry Lusty, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News
Yesterday
(ANNews) – A good many people in Native country know Adrian LaChance as the man behind the mic, because he often serves as emcee for various round dances, community events and festivities. He’s also known as an educator/presenter at schools and conferences where he shares with Native and non-Native people alike, his knowledge of Native history, culture and traditions.
And while his popularity grows in those areas, LaChance is widely renowned as a powwow dancer, singer and drummer. He shines as a charismatic dancer in any powwow arena – you literally can’t take your eyes off him. He’s a bold, skilled and wonderful traditional dancer who originally hails from Saskatchewan but was transplanted to Edmonton.
LaChance stands out loud and clear in powwow circles. His colourful, well-crafted regalia is an attraction in itself and he is often the centre of attention for visiting photographers and videographers, myself included, who delight in capturing marvellous action images.
Be that as it may, it’s a wonder that an individual who grew up as he did, was able to overcome so many negatives handed to him in life, and emerge as an accomplished cultural individual, and also a kind person who walks that precious Red Road and gives so much of himself to and for the good of the community. But that’s Adrian – a good person, a kind man, and an upstanding role model for so many of Native country’s youth to appreciate and emulate. He sets a wonderful example for not only the youth, but adults as well.
And that’s just for starters. The teachings that he shares with the non-Native community is commendable and so important given the times we live in. In this present era of controversy, Adrian shares his wisdom and knowledge with the non-Indigenous community so they can better understand, appreciate, accept and respect Native people, including their lifestyles, culture and protocols.
LaChance’s early years were in a cultural vacuum. While being raised in group homes, he was one of many Indigenous children who were frequently subjected to damning innuendos, misinformation, and put-downs. He was taught that Native culture was akin to “devil worshipping.”
When people are told something repeatedly, they eventually come to believe it. It becomes so ingrained. Yet despite the colonialist concepts that attempted to “take the Indian out of the child,” LaChance was able to do a complete turn-around and recapture his historical customs and traditions.
“Because of what I was told as a child in those group homes,” said LaChance, “I was scared of powwow dancing and singing.” He grew up deprived of learning his roots and heritage but finally, at age twenty, LaChance attended and witnessed his very first powwow.
“Once I found the Elders and dancers who shared their truth about it, I felt comfortable learning more …. that it was beautiful and okay.”
It was those basic, simple truths that went on to set him free – free to pursue the culture he’d been denied, the culture he thirsted to know. Stolen from him throughout his young life, LaChance’s appetite for more of that knowledge simply exploded. He learned more, then more, including his long-denied traditions of singing and dancing. And what a transformation that turned out to be! He went on to become not just a dancer, but the champion dancer that he is today! Add to this his abilities at drumming, singing, facilitating cultural workshops and presentations, and you have a blessed individual who is graciously doing his own thing in a truly good way. He is sharing his knowledge and his skills for the betterment of all. How wonderful is that!
For years now, he’s been giving back, not just locally in Edmonton …. but all over the country!
LaChance’s character makes him stand out in a crowd and so does his regalia – thanks to his loving, caring grandmother, the late Eliza Running Thunder, who sewed for countless hours on end. Every stitch and every bead was filled with love.
“She was gifted with so much knowledge and wisdom,” LaChance explained. And, undoubtedly, she had a very positive influence on him in terms of helping others, valuing education and staying away from alcohol.
As for the powwow trail, it’s like his second home. LaChance loves sharing his skills and he dances in memory of his past mentors and Elders, all of whom helped make him the good person he is today.
“I honour them each time I dance,” he states matter-of-factly.
On the powwow circuit, he states, it’s a “beautiful energy …. the people are so nice and friendly. It gives my heart much joy and hope that we can overcome anything.”
Terry Lusty, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News
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