Algonquin Park powwow remains traditional

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Lisa Eagles says everyone is welcome at their traditional powwow and all nations gathering, celebrating its 10th annual run this summer, but a lot of people still don't know about it.

The powwow will be held Aug. 6 to 8 at Whitefish Lake, on Centennial Ridges Road near the east gate of Algonquin Park.

"We're about 2.8 kilometres in that road," said Eagles, "and we're the last thing on that road."

Eagles said most of the organization is done by her and her husband and their friends, about 25 people in all, from within and without their own community.

"At one point, the band in Whitney here was called Whimasab. And what that means is, Whitney, Madawaska and Sabine, which are the three communities that are here in this area."

She said Whimasab put on the powwow the first few years, but the past four, her group has taken it on.

"The very first powwow was actually done at Pog Lake, and that was done just by some of the Elders, and men and stuff from town decided that that was a good idea, and it started really from scratch."

They moved to Whitefish after four years because "it was better grounds, it had a lake, and where it was on Pog wasn't near the water."

"We are probably the most grassroots people that you'll be talking to having anything to do with putting on powwows. We pull it off and it doesn't look like that in the end, but that's what it is.

"We have Elders and fire-keepers and people from out of town that come and support us and that tell us they'll be here every year no matter what. And so far, they've been extremely true to their word," said Eagles.

Eagles and her husband Michael Bolt, 36 and 40 years of age, respectively, are not attached to any band, but there are several in the area, including Golden Lake, Sharbot Lake, Ardock, Antoine and Bonnechere.

Golden Lake people are the only ones with a reserve.

Eagles, whose father is Mi'Kmaq, is originally from Bass River, N.S. Michael is Algonquin and was raised in Whitney.

"We've been nicknamed the 'Black Magic Marker Band' (a reference to them getting together to play bingo) because we don't have actual representation. We're in the middle of (political negotations to get it back)," said Eagles. Their community includes status and non-status, mostly off-reserve people.

Eagles said what makes their powwow special is its non-commercial, non-political atmosphere. Usually there are just 10 to 15 vendors and "no big advertising, no government funding, nothing like that."

Instead, they hold yard sales and bingos to fund their powwow. About five Elders from different communities help support it too. The drummers, dancers and their emcees, many of whom have been coming to the powwow every year, "know the situation," said Eagles, and a lot give back their honorariums in support of the event.

Even so, they had about 600 people attend last year, according to Eagles. The powwow is held on Crown land with the co-operation of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Eagles said their celebration is growing. "This year is the first year that we are putting real effort into expanding what we're doing," Eagles said, but she added that "we will keep things as traditional as we possibly can," to keep people coming back year after year.

Eagles said people are respectful and the event has been nearly problem-free, although there was a robbery last year.

She said in the event of a medical emergency, the fire department in Whitney is their first responder, about 15 minutes away, and they are in contact with the ministry as well. They are about 45 minutes from hospitals in either Barry's Bay or Bancroft.

"I've had grandmothers and Elders come to me and tell me that, 'You know, if Creator said I only had one more powwow I could go to, I would come to this one. And I watch them walk around and talk about 'Now this is how it should be done. This is the right way.' And basically it's nothing more than a whole bunch of peole getting together, literally drumming and dancing and sharing and being kind to each other.

"It's amazing. It's like stepping into another world when we get to powwow time. It's not like any other powwow I've ever seen or ever been to." Eagles laughs. "It's peace, love and granola everywhere."

For further information about the powwow, contact Lisa Eagles or Michael Bolt at (613) 637-9981 or e-mail them at mikelisa4algonquin@yahoo.com.