Indian Village participants still feeling impact of last year’s flood

If there is a refrain that echoed through Indian Village at this year’s Stampede, it was the memory of last year’s flooding that resulted in many participants losing their teepees, artifacts and regalia to the ravaging waters that swept through Siksika and Morley. The loss and dislocation is ongoing as many of the centuries old artifacts were destroyed and are irreplaceable.

The Mark Poucette family, from Morley, who have been displaying at Indian Village for the past 43 years and participating in the traditional dances, lost their teepee to the floods June 2013. That did not deter them from setting up this year with a teepee borrowed from a cousin.

With the loss of Beatrice Poucette, the family matriarch at 95 last year, son Marvin and daughter Annie Wesley and other family members continue the tradition. They are there to greet the hundreds of visitors, who tour through the teepees for a genuine experience of Aboriginal history and culture.

Wesley is also a renowned teepee maker, who has made the teepees that stand at Teepee Village at Morley. She says it takes her about a week to make a teepee. While animal skins were used in the past, today’s teepees are made of canvas. For space to construct the teepees, in nice weather Wesley may work outside or inside the gymnasium. Teepees last a long time, but it is especially important to let the teepee dry out after a rain.

“If you keep it good, you can have it for a long time,” said Wesley.

Marie Bear Chief, of Siksika, says that many on their reserve are still waiting for permanent housing. Although her basement was flooded, she says they were only out of their home for a few months, but there are many still waiting for permanent housing out of the flood plain.  Their teepee, notable for its otter design, has also been in the family for countless generations.

For the 10 days of Stampede, the 23 teepees that are set up at Indian Village become the temporary homes of the families, who own them. Several families, such as the ancestors of Stanford and Karen Three Suns, have been participating for over 100 years, since 1912. Darlas Big Snake says while her aunt and uncle, Stanford and Karen, started in 1964, the family was involved for over 40 years before that.

The families who welcome visitors into the sacred space of the teepee are involved in many of the daily dance competitions that take place on the Indian Village, the Bannock booth, the dance competitions, craft sales and the meat drying display.

Each day tradition is followed with the raising and lowering of the flags, the dancers’ entry onto the stage, and the traditional dance competitions that go on for hours to the beat of multiple drum groups are interspersed with intertribal dances that are open to all to join in onstage.

Photo caption: Annie Wesley and her brother Marvin Bigstoney participate in Indian Village at the Calgary Stampede.