Pow Wow

As we're entering the gymnasium, all seems quiet, since they were beginning to serve food.  There was no music or dance at that given moment, so, of course, a team of ten young people in emerald green t-shirts are the attraction of the moment and everyone stares, while the emcee simultaneously announces our rather obvious arrival. "They're going to learn to dance!" He informed us, as well as the audience.  Of course, I was psyched, yet still in awe that 1. This is a 100% foreign cultural environment and I'm surrounded in it.  (It still hasn't sunk in) and 2. People actually care that we're here.  Not only do they not mind, but they really appreciate it, and they really just want to share all that they can with us! 10 Katimavik volunteers in such a close-knit community of about 5000 certainly do not go unnoticed. 

As we stood in a line to watch the Cree dancers show us how it's done in their magnificent traditional dress, we can not help but to smile, to laugh and to laugh.  (Especially when Chris, our PL starts dancing too soon...)

It's common, I've learned, for them to give cash prizes at Pow Wows, so they decided to make a competition between Katimavik volunteers for our dancing around the drum circle. Our lovely Yvonne took first place, Olivia second and Chris third, Micheal Fourth. 

So at a Pow Wow, they have one big drum in the middle that a few men bang on, and many come dressed in traditional dress (which is called regalia) There are times when there are certain people, who are traditional dancers are the only ones to be dancing, and another for those that attend the sweat lodge (a separate religious experience which involves praying in a sauna-like setting.) The rest of the time, anyone and everyone can dance around the drum circle and sing along.

The Pow Wow was a little different from the memorial dance in that it was a little more upbeat and colourful, with flashier costumes and I'd say a few more people came.

But just the same as the memorial dance, the children are so beautiful, with the giant grins they wear so frequently and their ability to trust so quickly.  I suppose we're a main attraction, bearing that pretty green colour on our fair skin (er, well, 9/10 of us, one stands out for the opposite reason!)  At some point, a little girl who didn't say a word (she must have been between 2 and 3) grabbed my finger and started walking.  Of course, she wanted me to dance with her!  So I danced around the drum circle with this beautiful little girl who's name I still don't know!  One of the things they do is picking a spot before people get on the dance floor and when the drum stops, the dancers (whoever joins) stop in their place.  If they happen to be near the spot they chose before, they win a prize.  Of course, it was her that stopped exactly in that place and the 25$ prize went to the mini-beauty holding my hand.  I was so thrilled to take her to the table to (even if she didn't understand)  Thankfully her parents came to claim her prize!

Before the Pow Wow even started, we spoke with the emcee, who gave us a taste of his philosophy which was actually really spectacular to hear.  He's from Alberta and he mentioned living where he and his children could always be around horses and other animals. 

"Anyone, anything can teach you," he said, "even a horse can teach you things."

He also mentioned, among other things, that he was really glad to have people interested in the culture, and that we're here, giving our time to help this community and learn about it.

Another idea I might borrow from Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love, is the idea of giving each place or person a word.  And Chisasibi's, I believe, would most certainly be sharing.  Because here, there are no fences.  They don't own their land individually, their people does, their community.  They share food, they share laughs, they share their culture, they share their philosophy, way of life, their knowledge.  And to me, to live without sharing isn't really living.

Sharing knowledge?

This is exactly what Katimavik is.

And Chisasibi is the perfect place for such a novel idea.