Powwow Summer - The Dance Current

Nimkii Osawamick is a Chicken, fancy and hoop dancer and singer – Hiawatha First Nations powwow
> Jennifer Meness is a fancy shawl, jungle and traditional buckskin dancer – Hiawatha First Nations powwow
> Daniel Pelletier is a traditional dancer – Walpole First Nations powwow
> Brandon Devay is a traditional dancer – Dokis First Nations powwow
> Michelle Grizzli is a traditional dancer and singer – Dokis First Nations powwow
> Mireille Casavant is a traditional dancer and educator – Dokis First Nations powwow
> Mista Wasis is a traditional dancer – Munsee Delaware First Nations powwow
> My dream home – Skugog First Nations powwow
> Natural way of life obscured by tech-no-logical madness – in Caledonia, Ontario
> Jason White Bear is a traditional and chicken dancer – Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve powwow
> Kevin Bomberry is a fancy feathers and smoke dancer – Saugeen First Nations powwow
> Audrey Greene Summers is a traditional dancer – Saugeen First Nations powwow
> Sandy Benson is a traditional dancer – Hiawatha First Nations powwow
> Rain Williams is a shawl dancer – Moraviantown powwow

Every weekend during the summer, all over the Indian country, there are powwows, where many dancers, singers, drum groups and artists gather to honour their ancestries. The drum represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth and the songs connect us, one to another and nature. Dancers wearing their regalia tell stories through movements and colours, stories rooted in their rich history. With my photographs I want to display the beauty of a culture and people, misrepresented and often ignored by mainstream media. For me, the meaning of powwow has grown beyond capturing feathers, beadwork and braids. It has evolved into a friendship, a deep personal connection and support for First Nations values, tradition and ideas. ~ Irina Popova

Photographer Irina Popova‘s images were featured in the July/August issue of The Dance Current where they illustrated our cover and the feature essay My Life in Powwow by Karen J. Pheasant-Neganigwane. See also Irina Popova Photography’s Facebook page.

Tagged: Indigenous, powwow, All