Aug 14, 2019
Family Connections Ground the Yellow Wolf Powwow in Tradition and Celebration
Angel Sampson's powwow roots run deep. Angel's mother Alice was Nez Perce from Idaho, and brought her powwow traditions with her when she moved to Vancouver Island, where she passed them on to her extended family. These gatherings are an important part of Angel's heritage and one that she and her siblings ensure lives on through a large annual powwow held in Tsartlip Territory, and now for the first time, a children's powwow held at the Tsartlip Tribal School.
On June 20, 2019, Angel and a team of dedicated family members hosted the Yellow Wolf children's powwow to celebrate National Indigenous People's Day with the support of an FNHA Day of Wellness Grant. Almost 200 students from Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tsawout and Tseycum participated in the event along with their families and other visitors. In addition to the powwow dancing, Angel and her family used the grant money to extend their event to a full school day, and to support the rental of five bouncy castles and a mini golf unit.
The full day of dancing, singing, feasting and games was a celebration of culture and a way for Angel to honour her family's connection to the community and school. Tsartlip Tribal School has personal significance to Angel's family, as their mother helped to keep the school open when it was set to be closed. Alice was also the school's bus driver for many years. "I love it. I wish my mom was here to witness all we're doing, and that we're so thankful she gave us this tradition and the powwow roots," says Angel, who notes that all of the kids used to call her mother "my Alice."
A homemade feast of various traditional and harvested foods was another highlight of the event. Significantly, many of the fruits and vegetables used in the feast were grown in the community's own garden, where the students participate in a gardening program at the school. Kids also had the opportunity to learn about traditional cooking methods from community member Gordon Olsen, who cooked salmon over an open fire for the participants.
Angel shares that there are no cultural activities like the Yellow Wolf Powwow available regularly for the local children. "Our kids need opportunities to connect with their heritage," she says. "I just can't say enough about how much of a fun day everyone had. Just so glad we were able to bring that to the communities." In fact, the event was so popular that local public schools have shown interest in holding similar events for their students on June 21 next year.
When asked if the Yellow Wolf Powwow will be held again, Angel says, "I've worked with children all my life and it's something I like to do and something I will continue to do, and if I can bring more of our heritage to as many people as possible, that's something I'll do on an annual basis."
