Powwow comes to Concordia

The crowd at Concordia’s third annual powwow was an enthusiastic one - with nearly 100 joining an intertribal held at the university’s Loyola campus last Friday.

“When you see that, then you know that people are really enjoying what they’re doing,” said Ray Deer, the arena director that day. 

The Kahnawa’kehró:non and former US Army first-class sergeant said this year’s powwow at the university was “beyond fun.” He’s served as the arena director at it ever since its inception.

“These powwows are called traditional powwows. They’re not competitions. So it’s a lot of fun, because nobody’s here to win money. We’re here to just have fellowship and have a good time,” he said just as the powwow was wrapping up that afternoon. “It’s a big family gathering.”

K1037 Radio’s Lance Delisle emceed the event, walking attendees through the significance of dances and instructing them when to not take photos. The Kahnawa’kehró:non also helped organize the powwow as a community representative on its planning committee. The event itself was hosted by the university’s Otsenhákta Student Centre - which serves First Nations, Inuit, and Metis students there.

“It was amazing the support and the guidance he was able to provide us,” said Cheyenne Henry, manager of the student centre.

“The powwow is an important time for us to show who we are as Indigenous Peoples, and it’s an opportunity for us to share with others. Today, I’m very honoured and I'm very happy to see this beautiful event,” added Henry, who hails from Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation in Manitoba. “It’s not just a show, it’s a time to bring the community together.”

She said this year’s gathering was bigger and better than last year’s, with the number of booths doubling in size. This time around, a free lunch including a three-bean soup, bannock, strawberry drink, and molasses cake for dessert was handed out to whoever wanted one. 

“We’re inviting people into our home, and they’re our guests, so we want to ensure that we're taking care of them,” she said. 

Hoop dancer Makhena Rankin Guerin was at the powwow for her second year in a row. She said it’s a blessing hoop dancing managed to survive even after the Canadian government criminalized it under the Indian Act. 

“The hoop dance is a storytelling and a medicinal dance. By using my hoops, I do differing representations of the nature that surrounds us. Some people might see animals, some people might see plants,” said Rakin Guerin, an Algonquin from Abitibiwinni First Nation. “There’s really no wrong way of seeing this dance. People see what they are meant to see, and it’s what they’re meant to see that creates the emotion they’re meant to feel, and that emotion acts as medicine for the mind, the body, and the soul.”

For Julian Eberstein, an exchange student from Germany, it was his first time getting to experience a powwow. 

“It’s super interesting. I've never seen anything like it before,” he said.

He also said he’s surprised to see the efforts the university has taken to emphasize it stands on Kanien'kehá:ka land.

“Concordia is on Indigenous land. I think it’s good that they acknowledge that with events like this,” he added.

The powwow didn’t only attract students. Families and groups of elementary and high school aged students on field trips also came out.

“It’s terrific to have you all here,” Concordia president Graham Carr told the crowd at one point. “As we turn 50, we’re really looking toward the next 50 years and beyond, and in particular what more we can do to make Concordia an even better and even more welcoming place for future Indigenous students.”

Concordia has waived tuition for students hailing from First Nations and Inuit communities in Quebec, the president reiterated, a move announced earlier this month. More scholarships are also now available to offset costs for Indigenous students from out of province, he said.

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