The 22nd edition of the Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow went off, as usual, without a hitch despite the sweltering heat of the July 14-15 weekend.
The drums were pulsating deep in the heart of Kahnawake as First Nations voices cried out in traditional song, bells jingled and many a walleye nugget was washed down with fresh strawberry juice as the annual powwow brought more than 30,000 visitors to this much-cherished event.
As hundreds of dancers jingled their way through the performance grounds, hundreds of merchants were hawking their wares in one of the biggest Native commercial events in the province.
The Nation’s reporters were delighted to taste as many traditional dishes as we could get our hands on: savoury elk sausage in deep fried bannock, fresh and lively wild rice summer salad with crisp broccoli and other local vegetables, the moose platter, Indian tacos of all varieties, strawberry and watermelon juice and then lemonade by the bucket (literally, served in a bucket) to cut the incredible, 30+ degree heat.
The Nation also checked in with many of the regular vendors who work the powwow every year to see just how well things were going and what they were taking back from a major event that brought out so many old friends and new faces.
Nakuset, Executive Director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, was on hand with her family to talk about the shelter, raise funds and also spread the word about upcoming events for the organization.
“The Powwow is good; we are really trying to raise awareness about our 25th anniversary and the event we will be hosting for it on October 9th at the Rialto Theatre in Montreal. Tickets will be on sale as of July 27.
“We are also hoping to open up a new transition house for the clients of the shelter so that they can move out and move on. This will be a 12-unit building that will include units that are 1 1/2 rooms all the way up to 6 1/2 rooms and what we want to do is raise at least $25,000 at the fundraiser so that we can furnish it for them,” said Nakuset.
At the shelter’s table were also a series of items that had been handcrafted by the women of the Shelter to raise funds for it as well as information on the shelter and a few of their staff to provide information.
Over at Tammy Beauvais’s Tammy Beauvais Designs tent, Beauvais was busy tending to a crush of customers who were excited with the delightful wears they were perusing and purchasing.
“Things are going really good! It’s very, very hot here today but the crowd is very good and there seems to be a lot of people from Montreal and the surrounding area. There is a lot of interest and I am just so glad that everybody came down. Sales are doing great and it is just so nice to see so many old friends!” said Beauvais.
Former Nation journalist Steve Bonspiel was also on hand to promote the Kahnawake paper, the Eastern Door, that he bought a few years back and talk about what it does for the people of the community.
“Things are going amazing as per usual! Just like every other year! You know why it’s amazing? Because we come heres;jj ; j; jo j po jp ojp o poj poojh poj
