Search just our sites by using our customised site search engine



Click here to get a Printer Friendly PageSmiley

Click here to learn more about MyHeritage and get free genealogy resources

British Columbia, Canada
23rd May 2004 - Part 3


And yes at last we were on the way to the Pow Wow and I got lots of photo opportunities.  This Pow Wow I'm told is one of the last traditional ones in that people come to participate just for the sheer pleasure of doing so and not to make money as is the case at others. I'm told that many Pow Wow's offer quite large sums in prizes so many go to compete and make money.


OK now I've never been to a Pow Wow before but there was one long wall where anyone could site on the benches provided and then along the other walls seemed to be family groups. Along the far wall the groups there also has drums.  At the top of hall was the Master of Ceremonies. When inside you were expected to take off your hat unless it had a feather in it. As you can see from the last picture the initial entrace was due to be made.


Now at the time I didn't actually notice that the family groups raised their right hand in salute? but it shows in these pictures


Clearly everyone could join in and you didn't need to be dressed up to do so


I popped in and out looking to try and give an appreciation of everything at the Pow Wow


The group on the right were beating the drums

Pity I couldn't have recorded some of the music and drums but I did find a couple of web sites that let you hear some of what it is like...

Earth Songs and Indian House


I would just say that where I took a photo of an individual I did ask their permission

Here is another link to some recordings...

Kiowa Gourd Dance Songs


I decided to take a few photos of pictures on the wall :-)


You can see the kids are enjoying themselves :-)


This was really agressive drum music and lots had gathered around them to enjoy it


Great attention is given to both front and back of the costime


And many thanks to this family group for posing for the camera


I was told this headress came from the Dog Soldiers


I understand this was the shawl dance


The winner was the one on the right of the picture


And just as we leaving Verna appeared with her son.  And that concluded our visit to the Pow Wow which was going to go on late into the night.  I had a most enjoyable time and the drums were fantastic as was the dancing.

And so now it's onto the final part of this day where I took some pictures heading back toward Kimberley whuch you can see in Part 4.


Return to British Columbia Page

This comment system requires you to be logged in through either a Disqus account or an account you already have with Google, Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo. In the event you don't have an account with any of these companies then you can create an account with Disqus. All comments are moderated so they won't display until the moderator has approved your comment.