Indigenous culture on display during Delaware Nation Competition Pow Wow

MORAVIANTOWN – Indigenous culture was proudly on display here Saturday during the 51^st Delaware Nation Competition Pow Wow.

There was a large crowd Saturday for the Grand Entry to official start the event that featured many categories of dancing along with drumming competition.

Miranda Cryle-Huff, 29, had the honor for the second consecutive year to be the head female dancer at the pow wow.

“It’s awesome,” she said “It’s my home community, so I love representing them.”

Cryle Huff said it was “awesome” to see such a large crowd, including many non-Indigenous people attending.

“Everybody is welcome,” she said. “We keep it open for everyone to come and enjoy and to get to know our culture and celebrate with us.

“It’s a good feeling, too,” she added.

For participants, the pow wow is not only a good time to be with family and friends, but also to connect to their heritage.

Katelyn Peters, 24, from Muncee-Delaware Nation, has only recently started dancing.

“I’ve always wanted to dance since I was a little girl, but I never had the courage until I was about 20,” she said.

Now that she is dancing, Peters said, “I feel like I’m myself now and I feel like I’m dancing for myself, for my family and for the people.”

However, she is no stranger to the Delaware Nation pow wow, noting she’s been coming here since she was a young girl.

“I love the Moraviantown pow wow, it’s one of my favourites,” Peters said.

She knows a lot of people and she likes that it is one of two Lenape pow wows, along with the one held in Muncee-Delaware.

London resident Jasper Jamieson, 9, who comes from Beausoleil First Nation in the southern tip of Georgian Bay on Christian, Beckwith and Hope Islands, already has plenty of experience competing in powwows.

Dancing for about seven years now, when asked what he likes about it, Jasper said, “My culture.”

He is already a skilled dancer, which he said is due to the fact, “I’m in a lot of pow wows.”

Sandy Williams, 43, of Walpole Island First Nation, served at the male head dancer for the Delaware Nation pow wow.

He has been participating in pow wows for about 20 years, crediting family members who “encouraged me to keep dancing.”

Williams said one of the many benefits of traditional dancing is “keeping healthy.”

The pow wow in Moraviantown continues Saturday with another grand entry at 7 pm There is also a grand entry at noon on Sunday with plenty of competitive dance categories happening throughout the day.