Students and staff from the Amisk Community School at the Beaver Lake Cree Nation welcomed guests from neighbouring communities (and their own) at the school's annual powwow event held on Friday, May 24 in the school's gym.
With more than this 200 people including dancers, drum groups and community members joining in from Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Frog Lake, Saddle Lake, Kikino and other neighbouring communities, this year's powwow had an amazing turn out and was a complete success, says Amisk Community School's principal, Darlene Cardinal.
"This year has been a really good turn out. We had visitors all the way from BC that came out and a lot of other schools that came to support us (including) Kikino, Kehewin, Frog Lake, Saddle Lake and Goodfish... This year was a lot bigger, there was a lot of support from the community and other neighbouring nations," Cardinal said.
Amisk staff organizes the school powwow every year — mainly during the spring season — and with its increasing popularity and the yearly increase in numbers, the current venue of the event (school gym) seems to get smaller and smaller, she says.
"Every year we have a school powwow and it just seems that every year it gets bigger and bigger. Our venue, the school gym was a little bit too small this year, so we are thinking maybe next year we will have to move it outdoors," said Cardinal.
With the increasing support and participation from not only kids but adults as well, Cardinal including other school staff appreciates that community members also want to take part in the school event, and she took the opportunity to thank everyone who joined them for the powwow.
"It's unbelievable. Good participation from the schools, the adults from different communities that came out and participated in the event... Chief and council have been very supportive as well... I would like to thank all the neighbouring nations that came out, the other communities, Earl Wood — the Emcee — that came from Saddle Lake, our staff and everyone else that was involved in organizing this community event," said Cardinal.
The Beaver Lake Cree Nation community members are planning to organize their 'Treaty Days' event on June 14, which will be held at Beaver Lake's Spruce Point Resort. Another upcoming event is the school's Awards Day which will be held on June 27.