The South Cariboo Rec Centre rang with the sounds of drums last weekend as it hosted the second annual Healing For Our Children Powwow.
Organized by several local members of the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation (TFN), the event was a follow-up to the first annual Healing For Our Children Powwow held at the TFN's community gymnasium in September of 2024. Organizer Tami Archie, the TFN's early years senior manager, said she and the other organizers, including Mercedez Daniels-Boyce, Tammy Levesque-Holyk and Sheila Kennedy, hadn't originally planned to make the powwow an annual event. Following an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, however, they chose to organize a new event for May.
"It was important for us to host the event in community because it is part of the community. We chose to do the event for our children, the tiny tots and their families, to give them an opportunity to begin healing or help them through their healing process," Archie explained. "Powwowing is all about good medicine. Healing medicine, so it's important."
Archie said word about the first powwow spread amongst the powwow community, so they soon realized they would be outgrowing their original venue. She noted they also wanted to do a teaching opportunity to invite local students to the event on Friday to learn how to dance. Based on how many students came to the first one, they decided they would need to use the South Cariboo Rec Centre to accommodate everyone.
On the morning of Friday, May 23, Archie said they had students from Lac La Hache Elementary School, Mile 108 Elementary School, Forest Grove Elementary School, Eliza Archie Memorial School, 100 Mile Elementary School, Horse Lake Elementary School and Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School attend a demonstration of powwow dancing. Archie estimates there were roughly 286 students and teachers in attendance.
Following this visit, the powwow got underway Friday evening with a grand entry, one of four held from Friday to Sunday. A wide range of dancers, including members of the TFN, surrounding communities and beyond, took to the powwow floor to dance in their traditional regalia. Archie estimates there were roughly 150 dancers at any one time, from tiny tots all the way up to golden age dancers.
"Just in tiny tots alone this year we had almost 40 little ones," Archie remarked. "It warms my heart. It makes me proud."
Watching the younger children learn how to dance from teenagers and adult dancers is emotional for Archie. She noted she and her own daughters used to go out and dance at different powwows when they were around that age and learned in the same way.
"I'll see a sibling set or a cousin set where you see a teenage person and then a little tiny tot. You can see the tiny tot is watching them and it always makes me cry because that was my kids," Archie explained. "Now my older children have children, and I see the teachings and the joy (being passed on)."
Now with this second powwow under their belts, Archie remarked that she and the other organizers are planning on making it an annual event. She noted they will be keeping the late May date so, if they decide to use the TFN's arbour in the future, the weather won't be too cold for the community's elders to attend.
Archie noted the powwow was only made possible thanks to sponsorship from Tolko, West Fraser 100 Mile and the Spelqweqs Development Corporation.
