Let's get ready to powwow

Page 5

Terrying About

Tansi!

Whoo-ee! Great weather is back and many are taking advantage of it by spending time in the great outdoors, including yours truly.

Heart Lake: This community, in cooperation with Beaver Lake and Lac La Biche is joining forces to coordinate a July 31 to August 2 powwow in La Biche.

Heart Lake is building a new health centre that is tentatively scheduled to open by mid-summer. The reserve has also constructed three new homes with another eight to go before the year is out.

Cold Lake: The March 6 to 8 talent show with $5,000 up for grabs proved very popular, what with all its singing, jigging and fiddling. It was won by Charlie Shott. With all the mild weather this winter, they were forced to cancel their skidoo races.

From May 2 to 3, the band will host its fourth round dance, and on May 16, guess who's coming to dinner? Tom Jackson! You can catch him at the Cold Lake First Nation Community Hall.

St. Albert: Don't you dare miss the powwow put on by Poundmaker's Lodge from July 3 to 5. This year they are celebrating their 25th anniversary, so get over there and dance up a storm and help celebrate a quarter century of great entertainment.

Wabasca: This community has its powwow scheduled for May 29 to 31. And, yes, they have moved their arbor so that the dance area is on higher ground and will not, therefore, be water-logged as was the case in the past. Yahoo! All right!

Kehewin: The Kehewin annual powwow is set for August 14 to 16.

With rodeo season barely around the corner, take note that Kehewin, after a four year absence, is resurrecting the chuckwagon races. They'll be rolling on May 15 - say, that ain't too far off!

As well as the races, there is a talent show and fiddle dance planned for Saturday night (call Travis Yellowchief, 826-3333). In addition, the First Nation hopes to institute a hand game tournament as a tribute to Elders who used to play this traditional game. For more info, call Jimmy Pipe at 826-7643.

Congratulations are in order for Tantoo Cardinal as well as Peigan Elders Joe and Josephine Crowshoe who were honored this year with National Aboriginal Achievement Awards on March 12 in Toronto. Tantoo is best known for her roles in the movies Dances With Wolves and Legends of the Fall.

There have been a couple of shuffles in the NHL that affect Native hockey players from and in Alberta. One is from the Calgary Flames, who lost right winger Sandy McCarthy and their third and fifth round draft selections to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In return, the Flames got Jason Wiemer. The second player to be moved was defenseman Harry York, a Metis from Ponoka who was with the St. Louis Blues. He was traded to the New York Rangers and, if nothing else, will be able to say he not only played against the Great Gretzky, but with him.

Siksika: The late and great long distance runner Deerfoot is slated for induction on May 22 into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. It's high time another Aboriginal got in there. His induction brings the total to just three! Got to do something about that, people. There are all sorts of deserving Aboriginal candidates out there, eh?

Fort McMurray: Guess who is the latest resident here with a claim to fame? None other than Alberta's, (if not Canada's), best Metis artist, Morris Cardinal. So, if you'd like some quality work, he probably won't turn your money away. Just call him at 743-1361.

Happy travelling!

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