Ground broken for powwow arbor

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Neither rain, wind, snow, sleet, nor heat will hinder powwow competitors in Siksika anymore, with the building of a $2.3 million powwow arbor. The sod breaking ceremony took place on March 13 at the Centennial grounds.

Jack Royal, the director of Capital Projects and Initiatives of Siksika Nation, said that despite the cool weather, more than 50 people attended the ceremony, including local media, Elders, contractors and dignitaries.

The structure will be situated close to the rodeo grounds and the baseball diamond. Royal said the arbor is designed so that it can be an open-air arbor as well.

"It can be an enclosed arbor, but it can also be opened. There are going to be big garage doors so if we want it closed we can and if we want it opened we can also have that choice," he said. "The grand opening will be held the first weekend in August, which is the August long weekend, and our powwow is actually that following weekend," he said.

The community was asked to enter a contest with suggestions on a name for the structure, he said, and the new name is underwraps. The arbor committee has reviewed the names submitted and recommended the top three.

"They will be going into council and the decision will be made this month, then we will have an official name for the arbor," Royal said.

"In the past, powwows held outdoors were moved into the local community hall during a rain fall, so we had to change the powwow location to the community centre. That was if the weather was really bad, but if it wasn't then the people had to sit through the rain," he said.

"We are proud to be having the new arbor in our community. We are hoping to eventually host powwows there on a national level and we are hoping that it will help build and support our culture and hopefully attract some of the tourism in the province as well," he said.

"Professionally, we are on schedule and we are within budget and we are making an effort to employ our members as construction workers. I think that it is going to be beneficial, not only as in enhancing our community, but it will also help us to maintain our Aboriginal culture for the future. It is a positive move," he said.

The Siksika Nation welcomes the First Nations communities to participate in the grand opening festivities in August or in any of the powwows that will follow, said Wesley Water Chief, publicist for chief and council of the Siksika Nation.