Natives celebrate turn of millennium

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While thousands of Albertans hunkered down in the shelter of their homes waiting to see whether the New Year would unleash the fury of the dreaded Y2K bug, Edmonton's Aboriginal people were dancing the night away.

For the first time in its 12-year history, Edmonton's First Night Festival included an Aboriginal component. Billed as the World Beat Powwow, First Nations and Metis people took over city hall on New Year's Eve, and what a reception they received from the thousands of spectators that packed the civic centre.

Largely coordinated by Cecil Nepoose and emceed by Jason Goodstriker, the Native program kicked off with a noon-hour grand entry. Hobbema drum group, High Noon, sang an honor song followed by Northern Cree who performed a victory song. The last formality was a prayer that was offered by Elder Tom Cranebear.

The grand entry was led by flag bearers, followed by Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith, Leduc MLA Albert Hapstein, and other special guests and dignitaries.

Linda Brenneman-Snider, the director of First Night, described the powwow as " a new concept that we hope will continue and be expanded upon." She further credited the powwow with being an attraction that helped raise the attendance at this year's festival.

The Edmonton Metis Cultural Dancers performed in mid-afternoon, then it was back to First Nation dancing from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. with individual demonstrations of the traditional dance, the fancy, jingle, buckskin and grass dances. At one point, the jingle dancers got some audience participation happening when they coaxed two women to try jingle dancing. In similar fashion, two male dancers got three men up from the crowd to try their skills at traditional dancing.

The eventful evening was capped by a round dance.