Portage la Prairie makes history hosting Powwow alongside 2 nearby First Nations
By: Brittany Boschman
Date: December 22, 2025
Source: PortageOnline.com
The Prairie Unity Pow Wow brought thousands of people together in Portage la Prairie over the weekend, marking a significant cultural milestone for the city and surrounding First Nations communities. Visitors from all across North America to take part in the celebration, which focused on unity, cultural sharing, and reconciliation.
Held through a partnership between the City of Portage la Prairie, Dakota Plains Wahpeton Nation, and Long Plain First Nation, the powwow showcased traditional dancing, drumming, and regalia, while creating a welcoming space for learning and cultural exchange. Mayor Sharilyn Knox said the turnout and atmosphere exceeded expectations.
“It’s been an amazing weekend. We’ve had visitors from all over North America here for this pow wow,” Knox said. “The committee did an amazing job to put this on. Just watching the dancers and seeing people interact with each other, it was a pretty special experience.”
Knox said seeing residents engage with the pow wow was a point of pride for the city. “When you decide to do something like this as a city and with our partners, that’s what you hope for,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of our community for coming out and experiencing a pow wow and seeing what special type of event it is.”
She added that the event has laid the groundwork for future collaboration. “The possibilities are endless for us because we are creating the ability to move forward in a good way with our partners,” Knox said. “We know it’s important for future generations in our community. The Unity Powwow has started that.”
Prairie Unity Pow Wow Chair Ralph Francis said the event was months in the making, with organizers working under tight timelines to bring the vision to life. “We’ve been planning for about nine months now, but in the last six months we really put it into high gear,” Francis said. “It’s kind of a short time to plan a pow wow this big, so it took all of us to work together to get to where we are today”
Francis credited collaboration between the City of Portage la Prairie, Dakota Plains Wahpeton Nation, and Long Plain First Nation for the event’s success. “We have a strong team from the city, from Dakota Plains and Long Plain. Everyone took their own role,” he said. “A couple of people stood out, Ryan Espey with his fundraising, and Callie McArthur with her marketing and social media. There were a lot of people working together all the time.”
Despite weather and road challenges, Francis said the weekend was a success. “Even though we did face some adversity with weather conditions and road conditions, we were still able to put on an amazing show,” he said. “We look forward to doing it again next year.”
Marketing and vendor coordinator Callie McArthur said being part of the committee was a meaningful experience, one that culminated in her being presented with a star blanket during Saturday evening’s grand entry. “Just even being asked to be on this committee was huge,” McArthur said. “Seeing the passion and the work that goes into planning a pow wow is incredible.”
She said the star blanket presentation left a lasting impression. “I was shocked. I was absolutely honored, and I’m just so humbled to be included and accepted,” she said. “It truly shows what the partnership has been all about.”
McArthur said the event helped bridge understanding between communities. “Yes, truth and reconciliation, but it’s reconciliACTION too because we’re all doing the work,” she said. “I think this has really bridged a gap for the people of the city of Portage and the nations around us.”
Diane Van Aert also received a star blanket for all her hard work and for her role in helping plan, prepare, and help bring the Prairie Unity Pow Wow together.
Chief Donny Smoke of Dakota Plains First Nation explained the significance of the star blanket and why McArthur, and Van Aert were chosen.
“My first teaching is that the star blanket symbolizes a new beginning,” he said. “This is a new thing in and around Portage la Prairie, and they were a big part of that.”
He added that gifting a blanket carries deep meaning. “When you give a blanket, you cherish that person, you honor that person, and you want that person to be warm and healthy,” Smoke said.
Smoke also emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming space for learning. “To have this space where we can share cultures and traditions and answer questions in a safe space is important,” he said. “It’s about uniting in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.”
The weekend also highlighted the role of youth in carrying traditions forward. Smoke spoke proudly of his daughter Sophia Smoke, who served as head dancer.
“She’s really into the culture and the language and our traditions,” he said. “We’re proud of her.”
Reflecting on the broader significance of the event, Smoke said the pow wow fulfilled a long-held dream. “Historically, the Dakota have been in the area since time immemorial,” he said. “To have a pow wow here and to be a part of it is something we always dreamed of.”
Master of Ceremonies Ricky White of Whitefish Bay First Nation, and Master of Ceremonies said the pow wow’s theme of unity resonated deeply.
“It’s a common theme among our people to unify through song and dance and culture,” White said. “Culture is our way of teaching, of sharing a good way of life.”
White described the drums as central to the experience.
“Our drums are the heartbeat of our people,” he said. “When we sing in unison, it connects each other’s spirit in a good way, to uplift our minds and our hearts.”
White said Portage la Prairie’s role in hosting the event set an important example.
“What I witness with this pow wow is reconciliation in action,” he said. “When we’re at the table together through planning, united planning, that’s what it looks like.”As the drums quieted and the final dancers exited the arena, organizers and community leaders agreed the Prairie Unity Pow Wow was more than a weekend event, it was a step forward in building lasting relationships rooted in respect, learning, and unity.
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