Frog Lake Pow Wow Will Have Entertainment for All

The annual Pow Wow starts tonight, Friday, August 21st, 2015 at 6:30pm with the Opening Ceremonies followed by dancing. The whole weekend will be filled with celebrations, delicious food, and traditions.

Mel Abraham, Vice President of the Frog Lake Pow Wow Society says there’s something for everyone to enjoy, the event is for “all ages, right from tiny tots.” Abraham says the dancers at the Frog Lake Pow Wow are spectacular and there are many different categories, “you’ll witness all different kinds of dances, there’s different categories.” Abraham says there’s women’s and men’s categories, as well as, youth levels and different styles in each different category.  Abraham suggests if you can only make it for one of the three days to come for Saturday at 1:00pm. That way you’ll be able to take in everything, “it’s a full afternoon.”

Many enjoy the Frog Lake Pow Wow for the food, Abraham says there’s plenty of treats you may not have otherwise tried, “there’s different First Nations delights.”

The Pow Wow features Hand Games, which are unique to the First Nations culture. The games are played between two teams of three to five people on each team. One group attempts to hide “bones”, which are small short items, “about the size of a bic lighter,” says Abraham.  One of the hiding bones is marked and one is plain, one player sits on the ground with hiding bones in hand, and under a blanket shuffles and moves them. The opposing team has a leader who must guess where the marked hiding bone is. The team that is hiding sings and chants during the process which adds the element and mystique of the games. Teams go up against each other in tournament style until there are two teams left. Those teams play out a final match up. There is $20,000 in prizing guaranteed for the Hand Games, including 5 jackpots. It is definitely a show worth witnessing.

The Pow Wow is held in Frog Lake Friday at 6:30pm. Saturday & Sunday at 1:00pm and 7:00pm.

If coming from the north pass the Frog Lake School south to the Frog Lake Truck Stop. The Pow Wow will be held behind The Frog Lake Energy Corporations (FLEC) building.