The Little Raven Pow Wow makes its return to the Cowichan Valley this weekend. It’s the 24th year of the event and the first time it’s been held since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-Head Chair of the pow wow Tasa Thorne says there’s lots of excitement for the busy weekend ahead.
“Lots of dancing, lots of music, lots of amazing Indigenous vendors,” says Thorne. “It’s going to be the first time that we’ve had our pow wow since COVID, so it’ll be exciting to bring it back.”
Thorne says there’s a lot of competition involved, with dance teams from across the country and the states making their way into town. They will be competing in different categories, aging from youth to golden age, and different types of dance like fancy, jingle, and traditional.
One of the main events is an Iron Man event at dinner on Saturday, that has competitors dance until they drop, with the last standing earning a tidy sum of money.
In terms of dancers, the total amount varies by year, but they normally end up with between 120-150 people showing up to compete. In terms of attendees, they’re hoping for thousands to come out over the course of the weekend.
Alongside the dancing and vendors, they’ll also have a horse show going on Saturday and Sunday at the site.
This is the first time that Thorne has been in charge of the event, running it with her cousin Edward Joe. The two took over the responsibility from their parents.
“We were both passed down the pow wow right before COVID,” says Thorne. “It has been definitely a big eye-opener on how much our parents have done over the years, but it’s been amazing and honestly we’re just excited to bring it back.”
This year is the first time it’ll be hosted at the Cowichan Exhibition Grounds. Admission is by donation and it starts tonight and runs through Sunday.
