A Cree dancer and storyteller thrilled and amazed about 600 Red Deer students by turning a dozen hoops into the wings of birds, butterflies and other creatures.
Sandra Lamouche’s hoop dance was met with thunderous applause on Friday at the close of an activity day for students from the Red Deer Catholic and public schools at the Waskasoo Seepee Powwow at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.
Members of the general public are invited to drop into the powwow on Saturday to see Indigenous dancers from all over Alberta perform the hoop dance — as well as the grass dance, fancy dance, jingle dance and more.
But event organizers wanted to hold a special youth day on Friday to have more time to teach youngsters in Red Deer about Indigenous culture in this fourth year of the annual event.
In the past, students came to the powwow along with the general public, and there wasn’t time to give the youngsters context and education around traditional cultural practices, said Ashley Patterson, the powwow’s co-coordinator from the Red Deer Native Friendship Society.
“They are our future. If they don’t learn history, we can’t build reconciliation,” she added.
Waskasoo Seepee is Cree for Elk River. It was later mistranslated into ‘Red Deer River’ by Europeans who moved to this area in the late 1800s.
Patterson believes more in-person interactions and learning about traditional culture and practises will help build community cohesion and understanding and break down barriers and stereotypes.
Students from Grades 3 to 7 watched a grand entry ceremony, an Elder prayer and Powwow demonstration by the Red Deer Indigenous Dance Troupe. They also participated in many activities and break-out sessions on Friday, including beading and sewing, a drum circle, Métis finger weaving, bannock making, and Indigenous games.
Some students were taken on a walk to the pond near the centre to find medicinal plants used in traditional medicines.
At the end of the day, Grade 5 teacher Sandy Ashcroft, of St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School, believes all of the hands-on learning will give new meaning to what students glean from history textbooks.
“They get to see it in practise and it’s interactive,” said Ashcroft, who believes the personal interactions will also help build respect and a sense of “togetherness.”
Father Henri Voisin School student Christopher Salita said he really enjoyed the day, especially watching the dancing.
