Another perfect powwow

As the sun set on another successful powwow weekend in Kahnawake, visitors from near and far left the community full of frybread, strawberry juice, and positive energy.

“Everything went really, really well, and the weather was just perfect,” said Lynne Norton, one of the annual organizers behind the 34th edition of this year’s Echoes of a Proud Nation Pow-wow.

She said attendance numbers were comparable to previous years, with upwards of 10,000 people heading to Tekakwitha Island for the event.

On-site ATM machines also saw more than $80,000 withdrawn by attendees.

“That’s big, and that goes all to our vendors, that doesn’t even include our vendors who have their own machines,” she said.

More than 90 craft vendors and 20 food vendors were at the event, including Jessica Hernandez, who sold beadwork with her business, Nicia’s Accessories.

“This year’s powwow is absolutely the nicest weather we’ve had in so long, it’s been great. We’ve seen a lot of faces, I had a bit of a lineup in the morning, and it’s a real nice time to see so many familiar faces and new people, everyone’s generally so happy to be here,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez prepared beadwork months in advance for the event, including pieces like a set of pink beaded baby moccasins with a matching purse.

The powwow is one of her biggest events of the year, and she said she puts a lot of care into her work to ensure her customers have quality pieces to choose from.

“You want to make sure you’re giving people something from your heart, and that every little piece is perfect,” she said.

For her, the weekend isn’t just about making sales, it’s about connecting with people.

“The highlight is being with friends and family, some that I haven’t seen in a while, and some that I’ve just met, whether it be from the community or outside,” said Hernandez “I think it’s beautiful that everyone comes together and shares this experience together.”

She leaves each year impressed with how Kahnawake represents itself on the powwow circuit.

“It’s the event that really makes the community most proud. We’re always telling people, ‘Come to the powwow,’ and seeing all of these faces gathered here with such positivity is so great,” she said.

Norton was especially happy to see so many young people showing up for the powwow, including a group of three 10-year-old girls from the community, who asked if they could sing for everyone.

Liana Takaisitohkwatataie Phillips, Kurraya May Clute, and Darling Tetiewennenhas Rice ended up being a highlight of the weekend, singing traditional songs loud and proud into the arena microphone.

“The girls were so excited to sing, and they did. They were great, their voices were so loud, and people in the stands were coming up to me later saying, ‘Who was that?’” she said. “It was so nice to hear, and those girls were confident. They were really good.”

Also at the powwow were coordinators from daphne, an Indigenous-led art gallery in Montreal, who hosted a pop-up installation with local artist Kyle Kaientó:ton Williams.

He displayed prints at the daphne booth, originally created as part of a triptych and diptych.

“As an artist, I enjoy exploring all sorts of directions, because ultimately it’s all about fun and expression, and the ability to make people feel something, whether it’s unsettled, amazed, or making them laugh and everything in between,” he said.

Lori Beavis, the director of daphne, said that the pop-up exhibit at the powwow booth was a way for the organization to experiment with community outreach, and take art outside of the gallery walls.

“It’s absolutely so important to see work by Indigenous artists. They’re doing fantastic work, and we exhibit work by artists who are emerging and established, so at all different levels of their career,” she said.

It was daphne’s fourth year having a booth at the powwow, and the first year that they displayed an artist from Kahnawake as part of the event.

“It gives people a chance to come in and have a conversation with one another,” she said. “Starting conversations based on the art that people are making is truly, truly important.”

As always, dancing was a highlight of the event for many. With local dancers as well as dancers from communities across Turtle Island and beyond heading into the powwow arena.

Mi’kmaq dancer Mikayla Googoo was at the Kahnawake powwow for the first time, having grown up dancing at powwows since she was a child.

“I love it here, it’s so nice. I think I’m going to come back next year,” she said. “It’s going to be an annual powwow for me.”

Head veteran Ray Deer said it was another beautiful year of welcoming guests to Kahnawake with open arms.

“It’s packed. It just grows and grows, it’s amazing how many people are interested. A lot of times I’ll get calls from other veterans saying, ‘Can I come to the powwow, I’ve never been,’ and I say ‘Yes, come and check it out,’” he said. “I get to bring all these veterans and have them see the powwow from the inside out, as opposed to being a spectator from the outside in. They say, ‘Wow, this is so awesome,’ and you just can’t beat something like that.”

He said it’s always a time for him to reflect on the origins of the powwow, and remember the anniversary of the Siege of Kanehsatake, also known as the Oka Crisis, which started on July 11, 1990. The Echoes of a Proud Nation Pow-wow was established in the wake of that summer, and it’s important to remember what happened back then, Deer said.

He was stationed in Germany at the time, and remembers following news of what was happening back home anxiously.

“It was a tough time. When we do this, for me, it’s to honour those land defenders. A lot of them were not veterans, but when they did that, they became veterans,” he said. “They defended this land, this will always be in honour of them, and you don’t have to be a veteran in order to defend this territory.”

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