Friendship week, powwow both successful

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It was a winning combination.

The first ever Community Friendship Week across southwestern Alberta and the return of the Napi Powwow has sold organizers on a second annual event.

"We had really good success, really good feedback," said Peggy Yellow Horn, who worked with Vhalle Hohn to co-ordinate the event.

Community Friendship Week kicked off Jan. 12 in Pincher Creek with a potluck of cultural performances and cultural dishes and concluded Jan. 19 with the third day of the Napi Powwow on the Piikani Nation.

In between, schools in Brocket, Pincher Creek, Lundbreck, the Crowsnest Pass, and Fort Macleod hosted events including performances by hoop dancer Bart Harris, the Japanese Morniji dancers and cowboy storyteller Don Brestler.

There were also events for the community including a multi-cultural exhibit at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek, a Respect in the Work place seminar for businesses, and Elders and seniors gatherings in both Brocket and Pincher Creek.

"We had more buy-in from Pincher Creek," said Carol Specht, executive director of the Napi Friendship Association, which spearheaded the week-long celebration.

Community Friendship Week took the place of Napi's Cross-Cultural Days, which were held in Pincher Creek and garnered more out-of-community support than local.

Community Friendship Week not only extended the boundaries of the celebrations geographically, taking in a much wider part of southwestern Alberta, but also culturally, including presentations of Native, Metis, French, Hutterite, Japanese, and a number of other cultures.

As Napi's Cross Cultural Days and Powwow didn't take place last year, so the return of the powwow this year was much anticipated.

"Every year I say (the powwow) was probably the best ever. You know what? This was probably the best ever," said Quinton Crow Shoe, program co-ordinator at the Napi Friendship Centre.

There were 225 dancers in attendance and 19 drum groups. Joining Piikani Nation dancers were those from the nearby Kainai Nation, as well as many who traveled a much further distance, including British Columbia, Manitoba, North Carolina, Arizona, Montana, Washington, Florida and Idaho.

"People were itching to go. They looked forward to this powwow," said Crow Shoe.

"There will be some changes to make, but that's what the first year is all about," said Yellow Horn.