Maryanne Bruno, from Samson Cree Nation, at the Samson Cree Nation Powwow in Maskwacis, Alberta on Aug. 12.Photography by Leah Hennel/The Globe and Mail
Maryanne Bruno prays when she dances, for her grandchildren, her siblings who passed away, for all First Nations people.
She is a 66-year-old member of Samson Cree Nation, with deep blue regalia, a fan of feathers and a rosary around her neck. She danced on the weekend at Samson’s powwow in Maskwacis, Alta., in the same arbour where on July 25 she witnessed Pope Francis apologize to Indigenous peoples in Canada for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system.
“I was thinking about him. I was praying for him,” she said Friday evening after participating in the Golden Age category. “And I wish the powwow would have been for the Pope when he was here – to thank and forgive.”
Mersadez Swampy, 12, puts on her jingle dress regalia before the grand entry during Samson Cree Nation Powwow at Maskwacis, Alberta.
Thousands of people spent the weekend at Samson’s powwow, filling the grounds with hours of jingles, drums, singing and visiting. Around 500 people of all ages danced in the powwow; 467 dancers registered to compete, while locals followed an unwritten rule to skip the official paperwork so visitors had a better chance of winning prizes.
Indigenous peoples from across the West packed the outer arbour with tents and campers for the three-day celebration. It was a sharp contrast to the day when the Pope apologized, when the arbour was largely quiet as aging survivors and their supporters sat tight, parsing the pontiff’s words. That day, thousands of chairs in the outer arbour were empty; the expected crowds never came.
Ms. Bruno, who prays on the rosary in Cree every day, felt like the Pope was looking right at her when he spoke. She said she had siblings who never returned from residential school and felt the apology in her heart. “I told him: ‘I forgive you.’ ”
Now, for Ms. Bruno, feeling the Pope’s presence in the arbour complemented and elevated the powerful energy that she felt while dancing at the powwow. “It works together,” she said.
Kirk Buffalo, 65, dances in the men's buckskin category during the Samson Cree Nation Powwow.
Kirk Buffalo, a 65-year-old buckskin dancer who lives in Leduc, Alta., and is a member of Samson Cree Nation, chose not to attend the papal apology. “I was not ready to sit by the Pope,” he said. But the elder does not resent the Vatican’s visit to the powwow grounds. Powwows and dancing are healing for him, and Pope Francis’s penitential pilgrimage provided that for others.
“It is going to be a legacy. A lot of people benefited. A lot of people found their healing journey,” said Mr. Buffalo, who attended residential school for seven years.
Mr. Buffalo had an eagle feather in his cowboy hat, aligned with his heart. He wore his father’s regalia, which sat in a closet for years after he died. The hides are from moose and deer. Dancers, he said, find their own style.
Men's fancy dancers during the Samson Cree Nation Powwow grand entry at Maskwacis.
Keegan Rattlesnake dances during the powwow.
“The feathers give you strength,” he said outside the arbour’s north gate. “The hide is one of our gifts from Mother Earth.”
Pope Francis delivered his apology on a stage at the south end of the arbour. “I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and of religious communities co-operated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools,” he said.
Canada outlawed Indigenous cultural practices, such as potlatches and sun dances, until 1951. Dancing and regalia were also prohibited. Wilton Littlechild, a former grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, placed a war bonnet on Pope Francis’s head at the conclusion of the Pope’s address. The gift sparked applause from the crowd.
Barry Wesley, who is Stoney, sat with his family at their campsite Friday evening. He comes to powwows like this one to stay connected to Indigenous culture, as well as friends and family from afar. The tipis around the arbour remind them of their traditional homes, he said; the cluster of campers, with their generators buzzing, reflect modern resources.
From left, Daystar Smallboy, Ryan Wesley, and Barry Wesley at their campsite during the Samson powwow. Barry Wesley comes to powwows like this one to stay connected to Indigenous culture, friends, and family.
Mr. Wesley did not travel to Maskwacis to see the Pope. For him, the energy at Samson’s powwow has not changed in the wake of the papal tour. But he has noticed one difference.
“I know one thing for sure: The roads are improved,” Mr. Wesley said, jokingly referencing the fresh blacktop around the community that was installed to accommodate the Pope’s visit.
Mr. Wesley’s wife, Paula Smallboy, is from the Ermineskin Cree Nation, one of the four First Nations in and around Maskwacis. She said she felt the Pope’s presence even though she wasn’t in Maskwacis for the apology. “It mattered to me,” she said. “It mattered to my late grandpa.”
Ms. Smallboy descends from Robert Smallboy, who was once Ermineskin’s chief.
Wyanne Smallboy-Wesley, another descendant hanging out at the camp, pulled up on her phone a photo of Chief Smallboy meeting Pope John Paul II.
Elvin Nicotine, from Red Cree Pheasant Nation, dances in honour of his son during the powwow.
Tiny Tots Fancy dancer Arwen Roan, 4, of Enoch First Nation.
Some powwow participants were unaware of the Pope’s address at this arbour. Scores of tiny tots like Arwen Roan danced alongside elders who attended residential schools. Arwen, who is four years old, is from the Enoch Cree Nation near Edmonton. She competes as a fancy dancer, for now.
“I move my feet – kick, point, kick,” she said, demonstrating steps with her parents watching over. “I want to be a jingle dancer when I grow up.”
Arwen’s presence here was just as weighty – and perhaps more so – than the Pope’s. Ms. Bruno, who is a traditional dancer, said: “I am happy that we are still here. We didn’t get assimilated.”
Dani Paul, center, is competing in teen fancy dance at the powwow.
Dancing goes into the late evening during the Samson Cree Nation Powwow.
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