Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

Celebrating our nation’s multiculturalism helps us understand our neighbours and bring us closer together. With the help of the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, the Heritage Museum is able to commemorate Indigenous culture through a temporary display of powwows and their origins! The exhibit features seven distinct dance styles and their corresponding regalia—the characteristic clothing and adornment worn by the dancers. Each dance style reflects unique meanings or purposeful origin stories that are expressed in powwows! A powwow gathers community members together in a celebration of Indigenous culture, showcasing music, dance, food, and crafts. At one time, however, such vibrant ceremonies were shunned and restricted in Western Canada following what was known as the 1876 Indian Act. By 1914 amendments were passed which banned participation in powwows and the wearing of traditional dance regalia without express permission from an Indian Agent under penalty of law. The years to follow were characterized by a struggle against harsh restrictions to practice and acknowledge tradition. Today powwows are once again able to thrive and provide Indigenous community members with the opportunity to honor their culture. The Heritage Museum invites you to come and learn more about powwows, their origins, and the dances that define them by checking out this wonderful travelling exhibit from the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.