Healing powwow draws dancers from across Treaty 7

A healing powwow was held Saturday by Closer to Home, a Calgary non-profit agency, to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together.

They came from all over Treaty 7 to participate in a healing powwow.

The event was Closer to Home’s fourth annual All My Relations Healing Powwow.

“We see it as our agency’s opportunity to showcase our allyship with the Indigenous community to bring all nations together, Indigenous and non, for a day of healing and celebration,” said Arlene Oostenbrink of Closer to Home Community Services.

It was a chance for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Albertans to come together to learn more about each other.

Powwows offer a safe space for healing and with the power of the drum representing the heartbeat of a community.

The event always includes a full-contest traditional dance component.

“There’s so much energy here,” Oostenbrink added, “And it’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Indigenous culture, so we move through all the different dance categories, so we have dancers who are tiny tots, we have buckskin dancers who are much more experienced in their dancing, we have all the different dance categories, everybody comes and loves to show the rest of the world what they can do when they dance.”

Tables were also set up to showcase Indigenous arts and crafts.