“The purpose of the powwow is a celebration and renewal of life.”
Spring was welcomed Saturday — despite receiving almost 6 inches of snow.
The mid-April snow storm didn’t stop dancers and spectators from attending the seventh annual Ziigwan International Unity Traditional Powwow organized by the Anishinaabe Student Coalition at Rainy River Community College.
“The people who showed up were determined to come,” said Stephen Briggs, Indigenous Services director and advisor at RRCC.
Briggs said while waking up to several inches of snow momentarily defeated him, he quickly realized it was just another thing to celebrate.
“The purpose of the powwow is a celebration and renewal of life,” he explained. “If we have snow, we’ll celebrate that.”
Ziigwan means spring and the traditional event features drummers, singers and dancers from various Indian tribes and nations in the United States and Canada.
“This is a community gathering where we renew old friendships, make new friends and introduce our newborns,” Briggs said.
He commented on the dozens of “newborns” or young people who participated in this year’s event. Among them was 6-year-old Olivia Mason from the White Earth Indian Reservation.
“I like to dance,” the smiling youngster said.
Her mother, Tara Mason, said she brought her daughter to the powwow so she could practice different dancing styles.
“I want to encourage her and get her dancing,” Tara said. “We do a lot of dancing in our home.”
Olivia was among the many women — young and old — who donned a special type of dress called a jingle dress. Jingle dresses include several rows of metal cones, which are sewn across the dress on the skirt. The metal cones create a jingling sound as the dancer moves.
Various dancers included the jingle dress dance in the powwow’s Grand Entrance.
Briggs explained that the Grand Entrance honors many groups including veterans. As he entered the dancing circle, he noted he wore a circle emblem with the colors red, white, black and yellow. The colors represent the color of man and the circle expresses continuation.
“There are so many different meanings in this powwow,” he added.
For Koochiching First Nation Elder Bessie Mainville, the powwow was a blessing.
“Migwetch,” she said, which means “thank you” in Ojibwe. She thanked and blessed students for organizing the traditional event.
For Briggs, the powwow held an emotional meaning.
“I’m from the Bear Clan,” he said. “Part of my responsibility of being from that clan is to police, monitor and help Mother Earth. What makes this (powwow) an ultimate success for native people is to have gratitude and respect. And that respect is for all living things.”
The powwow, however, is not just for native people. Everyone was encouraged to participate.
“Omaa bi-izhan,” which is an Ojibwe command for “come here,” was repeatedly said by powwow emcees.
“Spectators, come on out,” one man bellowed encouragingly into the microphone. “You don’t need an outfit and you don’t even have to know how to dance to join.”
“When they say, ‘Everybody dance. They mean everybody dance,’” Briggs said with a laugh.
He explained the Anishinaabe culture teaches equality. “Nobody is less or more than each other. They are just two different beings and this powwow celebrates that,” he said. “This event has always been sacred to us in the sense that everyone is welcome.”
