Man combines his two loves

Page 19

Army fatigues and traditional dance regalia, Earl Charters wears them both well. He's been in the Canadian Armed Forces since 1989, and has been traditional dancing for the last three years.

"I like what I do," said Charters, who was born in Merritt, B.C, and comes from a family of 11 children. His father Dempsey Charters is a retired logger and cowboy who is from the Shulus Reserve. His mother Mary is a memer of the Okanagan Indian Band in Vernon, B.C. to which Charters also belongs. Both parents live in Merritt.

"They've been together for the past 33 years," said Charters. "Dad is 71, and mom is 60 years old. She works as a care-giver to handi-capped people in Merritt."

Charters is a navy medical assistant in the Canadian Armed Forces. His rank in the army is Leading Seaman. Charters, 30, has completed two oversea duties, one in Rwanda, Central Africa, and the other in Bosnia in the former Yugoslavia.

"The army's been good to me. When I feel like it's not fun anymore, I will get out of it," says Charters. He is one of the first Aboriginal men allowed to wear braids in the Armed Forces.

Charters is a hoop and fancy dancer and makes his own fancy dance regalia. The patterns and colors of red and white and yellow and black in his regalia are based on the medical Red Cross and the bumble bee.

"I'm presently making a dance outfit that will have all of the sky colors," said Charters.

Many of his dance movements depict a sky, an eagle and a hawk. He also does the phases of the moon. His grand finale in the hoop dance depicts the eagle turning into the earth while dancing with the sun and the moon.

"One of my sisters has three kids that dance. I feel happiest when I'm dancing with them," said Charters.

Charters, who dances mostly exhibition, also teaches cultural dancing at the Red Road Healing Society in Edmonton.

"I prefer to go to traditional powwows, rather than competition powwows," said Charters. "I started to dance for the love of dancing, and the feeling of friendship and community that I get at these dances."

Charters, who dances with a total of 30 hoops, came in second in his first ever dance contest in Wabasca, Alta., last year in June.

"I consider hoop dancing a healthy way of life for me," said Charters. "I will not perform anywhere there is alcohol."

Charters is currently living in Edmonton.