Pow Wows in BC

Attending pow wows in BC are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those travelling from Europe and perhaps even for many non-Indigeneous North Americans. This traditional cultural event is highly significant for First Nations people. It is a great opportunity for non-Indigenous people to learn about First Nations culture, promoting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

Pow wows are the Indigenous people’s way of meeting together, renewing old friendships, and making new ones, to join in dancing, singing, drumming and visiting. This is their way to renew their culture and preserve the rich heritage of First Nations culture. It is also an opportunity to hear First Nations people speaking their traditional languages, many of the talks start with some traditional language.

The physical landscape of a pow wow typically involves a series of concentric circles with the drums and musicians located within the innermost section of the circle, and the dancers, audience and vendors emanating from the centre. To many Indigenous peoples these circles represent the centrality of the drum to their worldview; the drum represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth, illustrating the close connection of Indigenous peoples to the land. Common features of pow wows are the distinctive music, dances and dance apparel of the participants.

First Nations people are traditionally deeply connected to nature and stewards of the land. This makes attending a pow wow a great opportunity to learn about the Indigenous connection to the land and become inspired by learning new ways to take care of the environment you are benefiting from.

Throughout the year there are lots of pow wows all over BC. The Kamloops (Tk’emlups) pow wow is one of the largest in western North America, drawing Indigenous people from all over Canada and the US. There are also many smaller scale pow wows, bringing more local people.

There are lots of different styles of dance with categories for men, women, girls and boys as well as elder men and elder women. This shows the pow wow is for people of all ages, there is a dance for everyone. Iconic pow wow dances include the men’s chicken dance and the women’s jingle dance.

Vendors typically sell traditional First Nations food, art work, apparel and items related to cultural practices. Bannock, a traditional fried bread is always available, as is soopollalie ice cream, made from the juice of the soopollalie berry. Art work often depicts animals and their roles in Indigenous culture. Other items include smudging rocks, traditional drums, knives with handles made from the horns or antlers of hunted animals and bead work.