Prairie Unity Pow Wow earns two provincial tourism award nods
By: Cory Knutt
Date: February 3, 2026
Source: PortageOnline.com
The Prairie Unity Pow Wow in Portage la Prairie is receiving provincial recognition, earning nominations for two prestigious Tourism Awards from Travel Manitoba and Winnipeg Economic Development and Tourism.
The event, which brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, is being celebrated for both its social impact and contribution to Indigenous tourism.
Social impact nomination highlights community collaboration
“Now that we’re finalists, it really shows the impact that this has not only on our community, but the whole province itself,” notes Callie McArthur, Tourism and Marketing Coordinator with Portage Regional Economic Development.
The Social Impact Award recognizes tourism businesses, events, or organizations demonstrating a strong commitment to positive social outcomes. This includes economic, social, and environmental sustainability, as well as creating safe and inclusive spaces for staff and visitors.
“I’m very proud of this one, especially because that was the whole goal with our community’s economic development initiative,” adds McArthur. “With the partnership between Long Plain First Nation, Dakota Plains First Nation, and the city, it has really shown just that we’re all here working together and we’re all neighbours; we’re all friends.”
Ralph Francis, Chair of the Prairie Unity Pow Wow, echoes McArthur’s sentiments.
“It’s an honour to be nominated for these two awards with Travel Manitoba. I’m very proud to have been a part of the Prairie Unity Pow Wow with Long Plain, Dakota Plains, and the City of Portage;” remarks Francis, “proud to have just been able to be there and to see it happen in Portage from all the hard work we all put in together.”
“The event wouldn’t have been possible unless we all sat down, put our heads together, and figured out how to do this for the Pow Wow,” adds Francis. “There was almost a year of collaboration between the three communities. We all spent many hours working on all the details for this Pow Wow.”
The Social Impact Award has six finalists: Giiwe, Perimeter Aviation, Prairie Unity Pow Wow, Royal Canadian Mint, Spruce Catering Diversity Food Services, and The Forks.
Celebrating Indigenous tourism and culture
The Pow Wow is also a finalist for the Indigenous Tourism Event of the Year Award, which recognizes Indigenous-owned tourism businesses or operators who deliver culturally authentic experiences that respect the ecological, cultural, and economic integrity of the host community. The award honours operators whose products educate visitors and stimulate economic activity in the region.z
“This is the first-of-its-kind event that we had around here, and especially with this joint partnership,” continues McArthur. “We had visitors from all over Canada, all over the United States; Arizona, Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and lots from BC; it was our dancers, spectators, vendors, and attendees. It was such a vast array of every kind of culture and background.”
McArthur mentions that the event helped bridge gaps between communities and foster learning.
“It was all about just furthering the understanding of their culture, their way of life, how beautiful it is, and how meaningful it was,” she says. “Just the fact that they were also willing to teach us, share their knowledge and be patient with us when we didn’t understand made it so special.”
The Indigenous Tourism Award has three finalists: Oji-Cree Showcase and Market, Prairie Unity Pow Wow, and Adrian Alphonso – Clear Paths.
Looking ahead to future events
Organizers are also reflecting on the challenges the Pow Wow faced.
“The weather really didn’t work in our favour that weekend. It was unfortunate; we had that big blizzard, and all the highways were closed all around us. We still had world-class dancers come in on Friday, though. It will be bigger and better next time, for sure,” adds McArthur.
Francis mentions early discussions about hosting the event again next year.
“It’s a little early to say if we are going to do a second annual, but it was brought up, and then we had positive responses. So hopefully, we’ll be able to announce something soon,” he says.
The fourth annual Tourism Awards presentation, where winners will be announced, is scheduled for April 23, 2026.
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