Discussions and planning continue for what is being called an All Nations Pow Wow taking place in June 2020 on stampede weekend in Williams Lake.
Making up the organizing committee with representatives from local First Nations and CRD Directors Angie Delainey and Steve Forseth is Williams Lake City Councillor Jason Ryll.
“I had a conversation with Chief Fred Robbins out at Alkali Lake earlier this year and he pitched an idea to me that this powwow takes place in Williams Lake,” Ryll says.
“Initially I thought ya it’s a good idea and then the more I thought about it the more I just decided I wanted to be involved.”
The initiative to have a powwow coinciding with the greatest show on dirt was spearheaded by Chief Robbins with Councillor Francis (Frankie) Robbins sharing the proposal with the Cariboo Regional District this past summer.
“We want to try to create an event that is going to expose people to First Nations culture and work on bringing everyone together,” Ryll says.
“That is the reason why we want to call it an All Nations Powwow.”
Ryll adds because there is currently no other powwow planned in Western Canada on the stampede long weekend, it is believed that there is a real opportunity for it to be quite large.
“We’re not sure yet at what scale this is going to happen. The Stampede Association has kindly embraced this idea and they want to feature some powwow elements during the Stampede halftime show,” Ryll says.
“So it could be as small as that or if it all lines up to be as big as we think it really could be this will be an event that would fill the Cariboo Memorial Complex for both Saturday and Sunday during the stampede weekend.”