From above, the First Nations University Powwow could be described as a spectacle. The drums, the dancing and the people all contribute to make the experience unforgettable.
“Its hope, healing, community and unity,” Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, president of the First Nations University of Canada, told CTV News.
Much has changed since the event was established in Regina in 1978.
The technology to make the event flow is now state of the art.
Registration for dancers no longer requires pens and paper. Everything is done electronically.
“We get a number, we scan them. They get to see their number to make sure that everything is there,” Tammy Stonesand, the Powwow’s tabulator, explained.
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Another technological leap is the constant coverage of the event.
CFNU, Canada’s First Nations University Radio livestreamed portions of the event while recording interviews with dancers inbetween performances.
“We have a QR code and people can stream in wherever they want, their families back home, they can listen to them,” Bee Bird explained.
“I’m going out doing interviews, little mini interviews, where the family can listen to their family here at the Powwow.”
“The intertribal” is a time for all dancers and dignitaries to come together in celebration.
Ottmann described the Powwow as a life-giving heartbeat.
“The whole body impact that it has on people. So, the drums symbolize the heartbeat and I think that’s a strong connecting factor. That’s what we feel, that connection.”
So far this year, there are more than 400 dancers and over 20 drum groups.
An impressive showing for an annual staple in Regina, that's been going strong for almost 50 years.
