Tommy hails from the Navajo (Dineh) from New Mexico. Now retired, he dances and competes for money to run his RV from competition to competition. His belief is that the youth are not following the traditional ways and that even his own children have gone to make money next to the “white man”. His pride in what he does is immediately felt, but so is his disappointment. 

A warrior clenches his jaw and visualizes the dance competition he faces. This is where pride is on the line and experience tells him that there are others who he must understand their tactic. Moments before a dance competition can feel energized as if a battle of the mind overcomes those of the past and future.

A cold day at the 2018 National Indigenous Pow Wow in Edmonton brings together aboriginal cultures from all over North America and is one of the biggest in the World. It just never gets old!

Marlin finishes his grand entrance dance before preparing for his solo dance performance. In his words, he is flying! “All of these feathers are lifting me above the ground and I feel like I am an eagle soaring.” His hand is grabbing my arm and he is pulling me closer as if to steady himself. His wife Velma is behind us laughing. She has seen this excitement before. He whispers about his emotions of quitting alcohol and how being drug free has made him feel like a child again. He speaks of how he “wrestled demons” as a boy and that his path is clear now that he understands the creator’s purpose for him. He is a proud Blackfoot man from south of Fort MacLeod in Alberta and he quickly makes that clear when you first meet him and shows you his buffalo tattoo on his arm. 

Thinking about his ancestors, a visitor of the Tsuut’ina Pow Wow shows a faded picture of a Grandfather in black and white.

A small hand drum group sings their way into a lead during competition at the Tsuut’ina Pow Wow in Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. The sound is like a battle cry of a soldier mixed with that of a wolf pack leader ushering in the night. It brings with it a surge of adrenaline that gives you the courage for anything! 

At a Pow Wow in Edmonton a young girl flitters around the edges of a mass of hundreds of dancers. They move to the rhythm of hypnotic drums that elevate the energy in the room to a near frenzy.

Two young dancers play while waiting their turn at the Tsuut’ina Pow Wow and the Grand Entrance. This is the start of two days of dance competitions amongst different age groups and dances. There are also drumming and singing competitions that bring in participants from all across North America to the tiny town of Bragg Creek, Alberta in Canada’s prairies. Each costume is carefully crafted by the families to show off that person’s personality. This is were the First Nations people get to show their true pride and love for who they are.

I met Rodney that morning as we both sipped a Tim Horton’s Coffee while surveying the arena battleground. We talked about his life in Saskatchewan and our lives were similar, then he got down to his hours of preparation. He forbid my pictures until he was ready. First applying paints then regalia and making final adjustments to hundreds of feathers. Each time another piece of regalia was added, the more confidence and power would emanate from him. You could feel this by standing next to him as his voice grew in volume, back straightened and arms opened wide when he spoke. For myself, this was a moment of power transfer I will not soon forget.

The warrior stands above the rest. His height and movie star looks are elevated above a thousand others. He keeps appearing to me at Pow Wows so he must love to be at these events. His face is always painted with large blocks of black, white and red in various patterns. He does smile, but it is a slow one, backed by thought and intelligence, cunning and deliberation.

A proud Father let’s his daughter absentmindedly braid his tassels while both of them await the grand entry moment. His regalia is purposefully done in LA Lakers team colours. He watches their basketball games and is a big fan. Nations from all around North America find their way to the Tsuut’ina Pow Wow to compete in dancing, singing and drumming.

if Eric is making a point at the Grand Entrance of the National Indigenous 2018 Pow Wow in Edmonton it’s that he is bigger than all of us! The smallest man in stature by half a metre, he remains the King and the best example of his culture and a credit to people in general. Loved being there to take this picture!

A young dancer shows a fierce temperament as he primes himself for the battle of the year at the 2019 Tsuut’ ina Pow Wow in Bragg Creek, Alberta

A junior fancy shawl competitor at The Tsuut ‘ina Pow Wow in Bragg Creek Alberta catches the judges eyes with explosive move during the Grand Entry.