by Stephanie Staples | photo by Leah Gray
For a long time, I’ve wanted to attend a Powwow; the regalia, drumming, dancing and of course the traditional foods that are so different from my world, have captivated me. This year will be my first time experiencing this special tradition, at the 28th annual Yellow Wolf Inter-Tribal Powwow which happens July 21 to 23 at Stelly’s Secondary School.
Yellow Wolf is a scared part of the Sampson family tradition. It is an inclusive event that is completely free, offers camping options and an opportunity for social gatherings, and it’s family friendly with no drugs or alcohol allowed on the grounds. It is 100% not-for-profit and fully accessible.
I sat down on the beautiful land of Tsartlip First Nation with Yellow Wolf Powwow founder Angel Sampson and it was a laugh, cry, learn kind of afternoon. She is a strong woman who came from a family of hard workers; she is a problem solver, a community leader, a passionate child care advocate and so much more!
Tell us what a Powwow is and what it means to your community?
A powwow is a cultural gathering. It can be a simple intertribal powwow, where we invite other Nations to come and partake in a social gathering. It can be a time where we have a competition powwow, where dancers compete for a cash prize. We have dancers from what is affectionately known as Tiny Tots (ages six and under), juniors (seven to 12), teens (13 to 17), adults (18 to 54) and all the way up to our Golden Age dancers (ages 55 and up).
When we first began, our community came just out of sheer curiosity, as powwow is not from the Coast Salish culture. People from our local Nations wondered how it is that we were able to have a powwow. It was a part of our mom’s heritage, as she came from Idaho and powwow was a part of her culture. It is indigenous to the prairie people too.
The history of Yellow Wolf Powwow runs deep; what began as a seed of an idea has grown to an international phenomenon. Talk a little about how the idea come about and what has helped it thrive.
Prior to doing the powwow, our family hosted the War Canoe Races in memory of our dad. I was speaking with my brother John one day and asked him if we could do something to honour our mom and possibly do a powwow. My brother was quite concerned, as none of my family had done anything like this. I was so excited to finally be doing something from our mother’s traditions. We took our $5.00 from the War Canoe Races and opened an account at the Saanich Peninsula Savings Credit Union. It was a small gathering, but it grew and grew from that point on. We did our own fundraising to host this event every year. Today we have so many people from near and far who love this gathering; we’ve had visitors from all over the world!
What is “a special” and “a memorial giveaway” and “grand entry/exit” and why are they important?
A “special” can be anything from joining the powwow circuit for the first time, to bringing out new regalia when you are changing your dance style or moving up in the age categories, to showing a picture of someone who has passed away, to a naming, which means a person is being gifted a traditional name. A “memorial” is when you show a picture of someone who has passed and a giveaway must take place for the family to continue participating in the powwow. The family will buy items to give away to the people attending this ceremony.
We have four grand entries, all dancers from Tiny Tots to Golden Age participate plus war veterans, visiting royalty, traditional men and women, men’s grass and fancy dancers, and jingle dress dancers.
What do you want non-First Nations people to know about attending this powwow, and why is it important for you to ensure this event is free and welcoming to all?
When we began the powwow, it was our hope to close the gap between the First Nations and non-First Nations people. There was so much that they did not know about who we are as First Nations people. There was a lot that was misunderstood. We live so close to one another, yet we know very little about one another. We wanted all people to see a little part of who we are and the kind of cultural practices that all people are welcome to come and witness and partake in.
During the powwow, there is an intertribal dance when people of all ages and from all walks of life – First Nations and non-First Nations – are welcome to dance with or without regalia.
District 63 stepped up to offer a place to host the event, which you say was a strong example of reconciliation. How can heart-centred non-First Nation people demonstrate more examples of reconciliation and closing the gap?
This was the first time I have felt reconciliation in action. The willingness on the part of the District to allow us to use the gym for our cultural gathering meant the world to us. How we got together to share information and have a respectful conversation was the best experience. I have seen this reconciliation happening in the past few years with all of the non-First Nation volunteers who willingly take their time to assist us all weekend with our powwow. It makes me and my family feel so good. If anyone out there would like to volunteer for next year’s event we are more than happy to have you aboard. It is work, but it is so rewarding. I have received so many compliments about the good work that these volunteers have done throughout the weekend. We could not have our powwow without their support.
The second youngest of 12, a survivor of Day School abuse and living with chronic health issues, I see beautiful dimples on your smiling face, I hear appreciation and gratitude when you speak. What’s your secret sauce for maintaining hope, optimism and being on continuous forward motion for good?
Our mom was my inspiration. She never let things get her down. She was a hard-working mom, especially after our dad passed. There were five of us at home yet when our dad passed she just kept going forward. As a survivor of the day school you had to be strong: the abuse was pretty horrific. The nuns conditioned us to not cry when the bad things were happening. I was determined to not let them win. I wanted to be able to grow into a strong woman for my son and grandsons. I lean more on the side of optimism, staying positive and being kind to those who cross my path. I am a believer in the idea that life is too short to be anything but a better human being.
If there was only one thing you could let people know, what would it be?
Educate yourself on who your neighbour is and what are they all about. There are people who have formed opinions about First Nations people. Be willing to learn on your own who we are. Come and visit our event, talk to our people and really hear what is being said. You may find yourself a new friend, if not many new friends.
