The 20th annual Swan Lake First Nation Pow Wow (June 30th -July 2nd) saw just under 1,000 people in attendance including 300 dancers and 14 drumming groups.

Pow Wow Committee member Wanda McKinney Cameron remarks, “For us it's a Celebration of Life, a celebration of who we are as Indigenous People – as First Nations People from Swan Lake. This community has a long history of grass dancers and jingle dress dancers. ”

This three day event draws people from across Canada and some from the USA annually to participate in the Swan Lake First Nations Pow Wow. Singing and dancing competitions accompanied by the drumming groups display the First Nation's culture with an array of colourful regalia.

 

Lori French, who created the regalia that Malcolm French designed, said that the creation of his regalia took her a year and a half from 7pm-11pm on weekdays and 10am-3pm on weekends. When someone is born, each person is given a name and colours based on their clan. Individuals can design their own regalia to share at the Celebrations of Life in each Pow Wow. Malcolm explains that as an Ojibwa (The Flower) from The Bear Clan (The Bear Claw), his name means Standing on a Horizon and his colours are red, yellow and black.
 
Tianna Bear-Sangwais, visiting from Saskatchewan, has many younger girls in her community that look up to her for her dancing. Tianna says, “For me, getting to be able to dance is just like dancing for those who can't dance and that's what my mom reminded me of. Dancing for those you know wish to dance and it just makes me feel so warm when I dance for people and it makes them feel good.”

Wanda McKinney Cameron hopes to create an awareness and education between Canadians to let people know that Pow Wows are open to anybody. “We love to share our culture, we love share our traditions (and) our knowledge of explaining what the purpose of the culture is.” She encourages anybody to take in a Pow Wow and take in the sights and sounds. “I think that everybody will enjoy themselves and we are very welcoming people.”