Annual Onion Lake powwow a big success

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There was great weather all weekend long for the Onion Lake First Nation Powwow, held July 16 to 18, and it showed in the number of dancers attending the event.

For the opening grand entry on Friday night there were already over 500 dancers, numbers organizers don't usually see until Saturday night.

"That's beautiful. That's nice to see that people are so interested. Onion Lake has always been a big place for powwows. We're proud of it. I'm proud of it," said Tom Whitstone, president of the powwow committee. "It makes me happy and proud to be from Onion Lake. That's the kind of support we needed. There was a lot of pressure, but a lot of guidance from the Elders also."

Raymond Whitstone has been emceeing at rodeos and powwows for just over 25 years and he's always happy to come back and help out at the Onion Lake powwow, where he got his first opportunity to announce.

"I still remember the day when I was initiated and it was an elderly powwow announcer, who now has passed on. He was from Enoch and he gave the right to me to be a powwow announcer," he said.

"This is one of the biggest powwows in central Canada. It started in 1965 and we're still here. I'm always proud that we're here as Onion Lake First Nation hosting the biggest powwow in northern Canada."

He sees the powwow as a positive event for youth, and said he's proud to see more and more young people becoming involved.

"They realize that this is most important to them-the sun dances, the chicken dances, lodges, sweat lodges, all these traditional, sacred events that go on. Young people are learning the meaning of the drum, the meaning of the dance, the meaning of the bells, the meaning of the eagle feather and now they are taking part, trying to take part of it all."

Henry Lewis, the recently elected chief of Onion Lake, was happy to be a part of the powwow and said it's a good way to keep the youth busy during the summer.

"I'm very proud to be a leader for this community, especially at a powwow of this calibre," Lewis said. "We usually have big powwows and big crowds. A lot of people from all over the States come and join us in this powwow so it's a big privilege to address the crowd here."

Lewis and others in attendance were excited to have some special guests join them in the Saturday afternoon grant entry. Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert was on a tour of Saskatchewan with other delegates, who enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the powwow.

"It's a beautiful day for a powwow. The spirit and the optimism and the good respect of the communities here is very exceptional," said Calvert before taking a part in the grand entry.

"We want to experience and visit as much of Saskatchewan as we can and because First Nation plays such an extremely important role, and will play an extremely important role in the future of the province, when we have an opportunity to be with the people on First Nations we always take that opportunity."

"I'm pretty happy that he's coming into our community. That will bring me the opportunity to bring some concerns across, like health care," said Lewis, whose band has the funding to build a hospital in a local municipality.