August 16, 2018
UNTIL 1951, POWWOWS WERE BANNED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT under the Indian Act, but then the tradition, with origins on the western plains, spread to the East Coast.
Now, many First Nations hold powwows, and they’re open to everyone.
Each is as different as the dances and drumming, but here is some help following the action.
(Logan Perley, “Dancing to a heartbeat: A visitor’s guide to powwows”, CBC website)
Here are some beautiful photos from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s 5th Annual Powwow in Surrey, October 2017. Google around for some BC powwow opportunities in 2018!
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We acknowledge that the land on which we work is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.