By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
This year’s 14th annual School District 53 (SD53) Pow Wow is being hosted by Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) with organizers encouraging everyone, particularly those who have never been to a pow wow, to come out and experience the fun.
The “Celebration of Traditions” Pow Wow is on at OSS on April 19-20 and will feature drummers Smokey Valley from Chehalis and High Water from the Similikameen and up to 20 dancers.
The annual event is made possible through fundraising in Oliver, Osoyoos and Keremeos. While SD53 gives some basic funding, Naomi Etty, Indigenous Education Advocate at OSS explains there are a lot of expenses involved in bringing the drummers in and putting them up in hotels as well as covering the cost of the food.
At a fundraiser earlier this spring pitched at the Snowbirds in Osoyoos, Sylvia Fogg (nee-Stelkia) an Indigenous Advocate with the school district noted that the Snowbirds love the annual fundraiser and are always very generous. “It’s a really great opportunity to have this fundraiser, the snowbirds love it!” This year the fundraiser, one of a several held each year, raised $1,800.
Etty agreed with Fogg that the Snowbirds are key supporters of the event, always generously donating.
A performer dancing at the 2023 pow wow at Southern Okanagan Secondary School (SOSS).
Etty goes on to explain that each year the pow wow moves between the three high schools in Oliver, Osoyoos and Similkameen. The aim is educational, teaching students – who are brought in from the other schools – on Friday morning and afternoon.
“We bring in school aged kids and the high schools and teach them the different dances, the different traditions. What some of the songs mean, what the regalia is, it’s just an education to get the information out there,” Etty says. And it’s also about sharing cultural information and practices with the non-indigenous community as well.
The larger community is invited from Friday evening onwards and aside from the dancing, drumming and other events during the day people are welcome to join for dinner (Friday and Saturday night) and breakfast (Saturday morning). Entrance is free and the food is also complimentary.
Etty emphasizes that everyone is welcome. She said she often hears feedback that people just didn’t know about it or didn’t realize they could attend.
Similarly, Fogg encourages everyone to come out and enjoy and support the SD53 Pow Wow. “We have many indigenous youth within the community and from all over that do reside here and attend local schools.” This includes indigenous students from Alberta, and northern BC that she and her fellow indigenous advocates also support.
When asked how important this sort of cultural engagement is in this Truth and Reconciliation era, Etty, who is Metis, says it’s “extremely important”. Helping the non-Indigenous community understand more about Indigenous culture is crucial for dispelling stereotypes, racism and breaking down systemic racism, she said.
“The more we talk about it, the more the more change can be brought about and if people don’t know, then they can’t fix it. So it’s just getting information out there and the best way to do it is for it to be a student celebration,” she said.
“It’s super important to get the correct information out there,” she says, adding that it’s also a fun experience at the same time.
“It’s nice to see the people come out and the questions they have, they’re always awesome,” she says with enthusiasm. She adds that for some of the dances and games they will pull people out of the audience which always makes for good fun.
Fogg noted the dancers will perform in three categories – women, men and youth – with familiar dances like the Jingle Dance and Fancy Dance being performed.
The event will also feature vendors who will be selling traditional cultural products like beaded items, ribbon dresses, regalia and even “Indian ice cream” known as ‘xusum’ made from a wild berry that grows in the region.
And spoiler alert: she does say that the xusum is very nutritious but it’s also a bit of an “acquired taste, but you have to at least try it once,” she laughs.
Drumming and dancing will be the core of the Pow Wow with Etty saying they typically average 15-20 dancers.
The “Celebration of Traditions” Pow Wow is on at Osoyoos Secondary School on April 19-20 at 5800-115 Street, Osoyoos. Open to the public for the pow wow events on Friday, Apr. 19 from 7-11 p.m. and Saturday, Apr. 20 from 1-5 p.m. and 7-11 p.m. The public is also invited for dinner Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and breakfast Saturday morning 9-11 a.m.
