'That just really fills my heart': Calgary Public Library hosting Powwow Trail 101

This summer, the Calgary Public Library is teaching guests what they need to know about visiting a local powwow.

Powwow Trail 101 is a drop-in program where participants can learn powwow protocols and etiquette, experience drumming and dancing demonstrations and gain deeper insight into Indigenous traditions.

Autumn EagleSpeaker, a powwow co-ordinator, says the events take place all over North America during the summer months.

"We see a lot more people coming to the powwows now that reconciliation is more of a thing," she said.

"Prior to that, there used to be kind of like, almost people wondering if it's OK to come on the First Nations reserves, but this is a way to teach people that it is OK to come to the community and to participate."

EagleSpeaker is southern Alberta's first female powwow emcee.

She's used to speaking to large crowds and brings that energy to the library.

She says powwows are full of music and dance that have the ability to reach people in a way normal conversations can't.

"(Visitors are) going to have a great cultural exchange, learning about the history of dance and that they can come to a powwow this weekend," she said.

"I'm wearing a ribbon skirt, as our modern-day tradition of what we call regalia and I'm also wearing some traditional jewelry and some beadwork and this is my grandmother's turquoise (necklace)."

EagleSpeaker says many people are intimidated by powwows because they're not sure about protocols.

She says one important thing to remember is if you see a blanket on a bench, don't sit on it because it's being saved by someone else.

"You're looking at all of this amazing regalia and you really want to touch it and I know that a lot of people do," she said.

"But that's one of the things to learn, is that we teach that you don't do that and respecting the feathers – it's about respecting the culture."

Kelli Morning Bull is the library's Indigenous services design lead.

"The library is such a vessel for gatherings, it's just a natural place," she said.

"So why not have this beautiful library hosting this Indigenous event, celebrating Canadian culture and bringing people together?"

The third Powwow Trail 101 course was hosted at the Crowfoot Library and attended by close to 100 people.

"The way that we structure the program here, a lot of it is demystifying these facts," Morning Bull said.

"Not just for the non-Indigenous folks but also the Indigenous folks and also creating this welcoming environment. I love watching people's faces and their reactions as they're seeing something that they've never seen before.

"That just really fills my heart."

The next Powwow Trail 101 event is at the Forest Lawn Library on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m.

You can learn more about it here.