Powwow aims to bring Siksika Nation and Strathmore residents together in honour of slain Indigenous man
The Town of Strathmore and Siksika Nation hosted the first Lead By Example Powwow this weekend in honour of a young Indigenous man who was shot to death four years ago.
Family of Kristian Ayoungman describe him as a talented powwow dancer and hockey player whose life ended far too soon.
“Anything you put in front of him, he excelled in it,” his mother, Melodie Ayoungman-Hunt, said.
“He was just happy, hard-working and very smart. He was one of the First Nation’s finest gentleman.”
The 24-year-old was found dead in his vehicle on a rural highway south of Strathmore on March 17, 2019. An autopsy determined he died of a gunshot wound.
Over the weekend, hundreds gathered in Strathmore at the Lead By Example Powwow to celebrate Ayoungman’s life.
“This just goes to show the impact that he’s made on everyone. He’s touched someone in some way,” Ayoungman-Hunt said.
“Who knew (Kristian) was going to become something so great, leaving his legacy for all of us to learn from.”
Hundreds gathered in Strathmore at the Lead by Example Powwow to celebrate Kristian Ayoungman’s life (CTV News Calgary/Nicole Di Donato).Ayoungman-Hunt also wanted to hold a powwow to bring Strathmore locals and Siksika Nation residents together.
“Siksika is only 15 minutes from Strathmore and we’re here every day; we support all the businesses, why not get to know each other?”
Ayoungman lived on Siksika Nation but went to school and played hockey in Strathmore.
The town was quick to help make the powwow a reality, with council endorsing it unanimously.
“We are part of the reconciliation process across this country, and we want to do our part to make things better for our Siksika friends and neighbours when they come into Strathmore,” Mayor Pat Fule said.
“This is a great opportunity for our two communities to bond and it celebrates Siksika’s culture, culture from all different First Nations groups and it’s just a great celebration of life and what Kristian stood for.”
Hundreds gathered in Strathmore at the Lead by Example Powwow to celebrate Kristian Ayoungman’s life (CTV News Calgary/Nicole Di Donato).
Two Strathmore brothers, Brandon and Kody Giffen were convicted of manslaughter in Ayoungman’s death after initially being charged with first-degree murder.
Ayoungman’s family believes his death was the result of racism.
“The way my boy’s life was taken, it was wrong. The way the justice system gave that verdict, to me, it’s wrong,” Ayoungman-Hunt said.
Siksika Nation Chief Ouray Crowfoot hopes introducing the community to their culture and addressing past racism will help them move forward.
“You can’t deny some of the racist things that have happened in this community and other communities around the area, so you can’t just sweep it under the rug,” he said.
“The more we work together, the more we understand each other, the more we realize that we’re more similar than different.”
Crowfoot adds that powwows help people heal.
“There’s healing powers in music. There’s healing powers in dancing … It’s a way of celebrating, not celebrating a man’s death, but celebrating the life and the lives to come,” he said.
Ayoungman-Hunt agrees and says she would like to see this powwow continue into the future.
“Times need to change. People need to change. Communities need to change,” she said.
“If more people understood the history, there’d be less ignorance, there’d be less hatred, there’d be less lack of understanding and we’d get to know each other better.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.