Saulteau First Nation’s Healing Our Families Round Dance lineup announced

CHETWYND, B.C. — The lineup for Saulteau First Nations’ (SFN) annual Healing Our Families round dance has been announced ahead of the late November event.

According to Tylene Paquette, the round dance, which honours the loved ones of SFN members who have passed away, is a tradition that dates back to the mid-2010s.

Paquette is an organizer of the event and cultural connections coordinator for SFN.  

“This is more of a ceremony,” said Paquette when comparing it to SFN’s summer event, Pemmican Days. “Dancing is like a prayer.  So we’ll gather, we’ll feast, we’ll dance, and then we’ll pray.”

Slated to take place at SFN’s new cultural centre, the lineup features some heavyweight Indigenous entertainment.

They include the Cree Confederation, a Treaty 6 Pow-Wow band.  Formed in 2007, their aspirations to become “a recognizable group” culminated in a 2011 Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for their album entitled Pakosíyimitán.

Fawn Wood, a woman of Cree heritage in Alberta, will assist them on vocals. For her album Kakike, she won the 2022 Juno Award for Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group.

The event’s emcee will be Hal Eagletail, a member of the TsuuT’ina Nation near Calgary. TsuuT’ina is recognized as the only Dene Nation member of Treaty 7 in Southern Alberta.

According to the Forward Summit website, Eagletail’s entrepreneurial work includes founding Eagletail Enterprises, a company that specializes in cultural consultant work for industries.

Festivities taking place at the Cultural Centre will begin with a pipe ceremony on Friday, November 22nd at 4:00 p.m., followed by a feast an hour later and then the dance and prize giveaway around 10:00 p.m.  

The event, including a midnight snack around 12:30 a.m., will finish around 1:00 a.m.

Visit SFN’s Facebook page and website for more information.