Festival of Lights kicks off on reserve

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 5, 2024.

Herald file photo - Community members gather to enjoy the lights as the Ka Mo Taan Festive Lights come on in 2022 in Standoff.

Kainaiwa Children’s Services hosted their fourth annual Ka Mo Taan Festival of Lights grand opening on Monday evening on the Blood reserve.

Lucynda Russell-Rabbit, community program coordinator for Kainaiwa Children’s Services, says they were happy with the turnout, even without the use of the arbor.

“We ran out of our 250 lunches and I think we only have 60 candy bags left of 500 so it was a pretty big event,” said Russel-Rabbit.

Youth mentors came at 2 p.m. Monday afternoon and helped set up the event in Standoff.

Russell-Rabbit says it’s always a pleasure to see the youth mentors enjoy making a difference in the community.

“We have 10 youth mentors here and they always enjoy themselves. Its stressful, but it’s always worth it once you see the community come together,” said Russell-Rabbit.

Kaleb Frank, one of the youth mentors, says he is proud to be part of an event which brings a lot of healing to his community.

“It feels pretty good and it means a lot to me because if I can help shape the future generation, I’m going to do the best I can and the elders and adults, they’ve all done the same for me,” said Frank.

The evening began with an Elder’s prayer, a visit from Napi, an Indigenous version of Santa, who performed a dance for the children and ended with the lighting of the festival and a fireworks show.

The arts are an important aspect of Blackfoot culture as they believe it fosters a sense of pride and unity within the community.

During the event Napi came along with some singers and a drum group for everyone to enjoy.

Kainaiwa Children’s Services will be hosting a mini-powwow on Sunday at 10 a.m.

The powwow will include a children’s drum group of youth ages 12 and under, mini crafts, cookie and gingerbread house decorating and food for the first 500 people.

Russell-Rabbit says any leftover food from the event will be donated to the shelters in both Standoff and Moses Lake.

While these events are created for Blood Tribe members, Russell-Rabbit says all are welcome to join in the festivities to help unify the communities.

“We want to have events to come together. We just use these (events) to increase community pride and identity and be proud of our people, and let our people know we’re here to help them,” said Russel-Rabbit.

Russell-Rabbit added that these community events are designed for people of all ages.

Ka Mo Taan is a Blackfoot word which signifies unity, something the Elders believe is important in creating a positive and healthy community.

The event will have a different program each evening throughout the month of December with the display continuing until early January.