International powwow draws crowd of thousands

By Lethbridge Herald on November 18, 2025.

HERALD PHOTO BY JOE MANIO Indigenous dancers compete on the last day of the anaugural OmahkÕsitapiimiks Paskaani Interagency Celebration at Excite Lethbridge Sunday. The three-day powwow which began on Friday featured hundreds of singers and dancers from all over Canada and the U.S.

Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The inaugural Omahk’sitapiimiks Paskaani Interagency Celebration wrapped-up Sunday at Excite Lethbridge after three days of celebrating community, children, youth and families from the communities of the Blackfoot Confederacy. 

The three-day powwow, hosted by Siksika Nation Family Services, Piikani Family Services and Montana’s Blackfeet Nation gathered hundreds of Indigenous singers and dancers from across Canada and the United States. 

Daily attendance during the three days ranged from the low to mid 1,000s to 2,000 or more at its peak on Saturday, adding to the sights and sounds of a vibrant weekend of events at Excite Lethbridge.

“We’re very grateful for everyone…there were people from all over Canada and the U.S. who came to sing, to dance, to drum,” says Siksika Nation Family Services CEO Charity Fleming. “Our Omahk’sitapiimiks Paskaani Powwow brings our community together in the spirit of respect, unity, and cultural strength.

“Each drumbeat and each step reminds us of the teachings handed down through generations, and the responsibility we carry to keep them alive. We were grateful to be joined also by our Lethbridge Mayor and City Councillor Wolfe, in a spirit of respect and recognition.”

A powwow serves as a vital cultural, social, and spiritual gathering that celebrates and preserves Indigenous heritage through music, dance, and community. Its roles include honoring traditions, fostering intergenerational connections, providing a sense of solidarity among diverse tribes, and offering a space for healing, social bonding, and education.

“The focus of this powwow was to celebrate families and intergenerational healing, and to re-script or to change the narrative from that intergenerational trauma to healing and reclamation of our culture, of our stories, of our dance…to show the strength of our Blackfoot Confederacy,” says Fleming.

Major powwow competitions in Alberta attract top dancers and drummers from across North America, offering substantial prize money in various categories. Key events include the Calgary Stampede Powwow, the Enoch Cree Nation Competition Powwow, the Kainai Pow Wow & Celebration, and the Beaver Lake Cree Nation Competition Pow Wow.

There is no single, formal Canada-wide Indigenous powwow competition circuit; instead, there is an informal network of numerous local and regional powwows held throughout the summer, many of which are competitive. Dancers and drummers often travel across Canada and the U.S. to participate in these various events, a practice referred to as “following the powwow trail.”

“Omahk’sitapiimik Paskaan is more than a celebration; it is part of our seasonal cycles of renewal and connection. We gather to strengthen kinship ties and honour relationships, stories, and ceremony. We intend to make this an annual gathering in efforts to strengthen and heal our community and restore balance in our collective journey,” says Fleming. 

To find a list of events, the website CanadianPowWows.ca is a useful resource for event calendars across the country.