Young dancer inspires series of books

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Sometimes it only takes 30 seconds for your life to change.

When Travis Youngchief, 31, attended a powwow almost three years ago in Frog Lake, he had no idea his life would take on a new direction.

As he watched a young boy named Sundance Wapass, who was about seven years-old at the time, celebrate his Aboriginal culture by participating in the event, Youngchief felt a spark inside his own spirit.

"I only caught him dancing for about 30 seconds," said Youngchief, adding it was all he needed. "He inspired me."

Growing up in Kehewin, Alta., Youngchief was always interested in music and dance, but studied square dancing, the fiddle and guitar instead of his own traditions.

"I didn't feel right about myself, I never felt accomplished," he said about his upbringing.

Since Youngchief's awakening in 1999 he has begun a new journey into the spirit of himself.

"The last few years of my life have been totally beautiful," he said. "I have no other way to explain it."

In 1996 Youngchief had a dream that had a representation of a wolf. The wolf appeared again as he explored his newfound interest in his culture.

After seeing Wapass dance, Youngchief decided he too wanted to begin powwow dancing.

As he started to research the costs and who could make him powwow regalia, he found that he had more knowledge than he realized. Not able to find anyone who could make his regalia at a reasonable cost he started to explore how he could do it himself.

However, he couldn't find any instructions on how to actually make items such as feather bustles, tail fans, wing fans or traditional breast plates.

But even without this direction Youngchief was able to produce all of these items -it just came naturally to him.

"It's a gift I didn't know I had," he said.

When his regalia was complete it was an exact duplication of the wolf he had seen in his dream years before.

Being the honorable man that Youngchief is, he knew this gift might have never been discovered if it wasn't for the young Wapass and his own dedication and love for his culture.

This is why on March 14, when Youngchief officially launched his book Wolf Creations, How to Make a Traditional Native Feather Bustle, he did so in Thunderchild where Wapass was from.

Unfortunately, Youngchief had to make the presentation of the original feather bustle described in his book to Sundance's younger brother, Montana.

Sundance died in a motor vehicle accident before Youngchief could share with him how much he inspired him by honoring him with the bustle.

"I was looking forward to looking at him grow over the years because he was so into his culture," said Youngchief of the sorrow he felt after the boy's death.

"I did it to show Thunderchild that these two little boys inspired me just by the love and effort they put into their culture," said Youngchief about his presentation to the Montana.

He chose to further honor the young dancer who inspired him by naming his newborn son after Sundance, the day after he gave the bustle to Montana.

Youngchief's book is the first of a three part series he will be writing on how to make a variety of regalia.

After spending numerous hours researching his heritage and making this book Youngchief says he feels at peace with himself.

"I feel whole," he said. "Proud of who I am and proud to be Native."