Long-lasting traditions were back on display at Sakewew High School this afternoon.
The North Battleford First Nations High School brought back its Annual Traditional Powwow on Friday, as part of the school’s 20th anniversary. Hundreds attended the event, including elders, alumni, dignitaries and students from other local schools, which hadn’t been held the last two years due to pandemic restrictions.
Sakewew’s principal Shauna Bugler told battlefordsNOW that the powwow honoured the school’s previous graduates and staff from the past two decades, as well as this year’s graduating seniors.
“It’s a really exciting event for everyone today and it’s a beautiful day for everyone as well,” she said.
The powwow began with a pipe ceremony inside a teepee, and moved on to have a grand entry of dancers and representatives before progressing to individual and group dances and a meal. Dancers received a monetary amount for the event, as well as a giveaway for guests as a thank you.
Bugler said it’s encouraging to see so many alumni come back and support the school, so that they can honour the various success stories. She added that this cements the feeling she’s had about Sakewew being one large family.
“We take pride in getting to know our students very well and getting to know their families,” Bugler said. “So it feels great to see many of those people here today.”
Coun. Bill Ironstand brought greetings from North Battleford’s City Council, while Mayor Ames Leslie did the same for the Town of Battleford. Ironstand said he was grateful for the invitation to the ceremony and was pleased to see community members involved with the reconciliation process, as well as the pride and initiative of the students.
“We’re proud of this high school and these young people practicing our traditions and keeping them alive,” he said.
Shanell Graham, the Cree Culture teacher at Sakewew, said plenty of work was taken to make sure that people would be at ease with COVID-19 restrictions no longer in place, such as careful preparation of meals. She also noted that the attendance exceeded expectations.
“When preparing the meals, we had planned for 700 and I thought it might have been too much,” she said. “But then today, people were pulling up at 9:00 a.m.”
(Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)Given the challenges faced by students over the last three years, Graham said she’s very proud of this year’s graduates.
“They were in Grade 10 when the pandemic hit, so the fact that they were able to finish their studies and be successful through the pandemic shows how much they wanted to finish,” she said.
Graham added that she’s grateful to be teaching at such a diverse and unique school, with the growth of their students being showcased on Friday. She noted that she and other staff were surprised by the interest in participation at the powwow from particular members of the student body.
“We had a few people come out of their shell and said they wanted to dance, when you wouldn’t think they were that sort of person,” she said. “So, it was really nice to see them shine.”
—
josh.ryan@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports
