A Modern Family on the Pow Wow Trail — Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society

Robert Severight lives on the Cote First Nation near Kamsack, where his mother is from. His father is from California, and is Yokut from Tule River (on his mother’s side) and Chumash from Saint Ynez Santa Barbara (on his father’s side). His dad came to Canada and met his mother in Vancouver in the early 1970s. Robert was born in Regina and, as a young boy, lived in Winnipeg, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Seattle. He also lived in California for 6 months on his father’s reservation. When Robert was in his teens, his parents decided to move back home to the Cote First Nation.

Robert Severight at Kahkewistahaw, July 2018.

Kristin Enns-Kavanagh, Executive Director of the SHFS, and student intern Taytyn Dwenychuk-Welcher caught up with Robert at the Kahkewistahaw pow wow, north of Broadview, on July 7, 2018. They asked him about his experiences as a pow wow dancer in Saskatchewan.

Taytyn: When was your first pow wow growing up?

Robert: My very first memory of a pow wow took place down in California, with my father. I was just a little boy of about four or five. My dad took us to an event, and there were people dancing in the circle. I heard the drum beat, and that is what drew me in. I wanted to be inside that circle where all those other dancers were dancing - men, women, children, the elderly. When I heard that drum beat, I went in there and I just started dancing. After a few rounds of me dancing by myself, my brother joined me. After that, we were out there for every song. That was my first memory of pow wow. This would have been in the early 80s.

T: How did you get into the dancing you do now?

R: I started out as a singer. I was lucky enough to have met a man who mentored me and would later adopt me to be his son. He took me under his wing and showed me what it means to be a singer, a drum keeper, a lead singer. He taught me how we carry ourselves as a singer.

Throughout the years of being a singer, I always wanted to dance. Eventually I got married and started my own family, and I got my kids into dancing first. But, as I was getting them ready, I started collecting pieces of my own regalia too. I was gifted an eagle bustle and some other parts of my regalia, like my breast plate. It was men’s Traditional regalia, so I decided to collect all the rest of the items for the Traditional dance style. Eventually, I had enough of my regalia to start dancing on my own. I have been dancing about 5 years now and I love it. Every chance I get, when I hear there’s a pow wow, I always go and dance and enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun.

Robert and family. Left to right: Tanisha, Talon, Treaune, Robert, Shelley, Tiana.

T: Tell me more about your regalia.

R: I made some of the pieces. Other pieces I was gifted. Of course, I had to buy some pieces like the moccasins. I paid somebody to bead moccasins for me. I also traded. That’s an old teaching, an old way, that is still carried on today. People trade certain pieces of regalia for other pieces. People will say “Oh, what do you need? Okay, well this is what I’ve got. I’ve got these nice feathers, I also have this nice material, I’ll trade you this for that.” That practice has been going on for thousands of years now and is still practiced today.

T: Do you think pow wows today are different than they were 30 years ago?

R: Yes, they are. They’re more commercialized. But, you’ve still got the spirit of the pow wow. You can feel it. When you’re dancing in that circle, you can feel that vibe, that spirit. It’s a good feeling. You feel carefree. Speaking for myself, the way I feel when I’m out there - it’s like there’s nothing else in the world that matters at that moment. When you’re dancing in that moment, or when you’re sitting around that drum and you’re singing, and the rest of the fellas, your guys, are just singing really hard and you’re all harmonizing and singing together and drumming together in rhythm - it’s like nothing else matters. All your worries and stress go away. You’re just living in the moment and enjoying it. It’s a good feeling. You’re all spirit. That’s the pow wow vibe - just to be involved, to be in that circle, and part of that healing.

Drum at a youth workshop for the SHFS, February 2020. Photo by Marcel Petit.

The drum is healing, and the dancing is healing. It’s healing not only for yourself, but for the people who are sitting on the outside watching you. This is because you never know what people are going through. Some could be grieving. Some could be missing a loved one. Some could be sickly and when they see you dance, or they see your kids dance, you know they’ve got that good feeling. You give them joy. It lifts their spirits. That, there, is even better than winning - just to know that you made somebody feel good. It’s part of the healing process.

T: Do you dance any particular style? Just men’s Traditional or…?

R: Yes, I dance Men’s Traditional. I have two sons. My oldest son dances Teen Boys Traditional. My youngest son dances the Grass Dance. My daughters used to dance. My oldest daughter was a Traditional dancer and my youngest daughter was a Jingle dancer. They put their regalia away for a while after my mother-in-law passed away. I am just waiting for them to pick it up again, when they’re ready. I don’t want to rush them. When they feel its time to start dancing again, I’m sure they’ll find it in their hearts to make their way back to the circle.

K: What was it that drew you to the Traditional style?

R: I just like the style, and the big bustle they wear in the back. I like wearing the head roach with black tipped eagle feathers. I like the style of songs that are sung. That particular dance style, there’s just something about it for me, the way the dancers move and dance.

K: When you are dancing, is there a story you are telling?

R: Yes! Men’s Traditional tells a story. If you watch closely, you’ll see it. Some the dancers are telling a story about hunting - tracking an animal like a moose or an elk or a deer. A dancer could also be telling the story of going into battle against the enemy, from long ago when people went into battle against other tribes. You can track an enemy and follow them. Sometimes the element of surprise comes into play – you can catch another dancer off guard. You go into battle against each other and you track each other.

T: You say you go to every pow wow you can?

R: Not every pow wow, but I try travelling every weekend [note this interview took place in 2018, prior to the pandemic]. Most of the time in the summer, it is every weekend. There’s two types of pow wow: the contemporary competition pow wow, which is the kind that’s going on here this weekend, and there’s the Traditional pow wow. At the Traditional pow wow, everybody gets an honorarium for singing or dancing. If you’re lucky, they’ll put on a Special. A Special is a mini contest for a particular category like men’s Traditional or Grass dancers. Sometimes you go to a traditional pow wow and they’ll have a Special in all the categories. That way everybody gets not only their honorarium for dancing, but they’ll also get a chance to maybe win a couple extra hundred bucks and that really helps out with travel. It’ll see you to the next pow wow. You can’t get rich off of pow wow, though. That’s not what it’s meant for. It’s meant for healing. It’s meant to make people feel good.

Robert and his wife Shelley work together to get everyone ready to dance.

It’s also about meeting your friends, your family, and your adopted extended family. A lot of people have adopted family, so they have different family all over. Even though they’re not related through the bloodline, they have adopted each other. They take each other as brother, sister, mother, your father, your son, your daughter. That’s the beautiful thing about pow wows. You can travel anywhere, and you will always have family right there, and your family will look after you. They’ll give you a place to stay and make sure that you don’t go hungry. Maybe they’ll even help you out with some gas money. Hospitality is number one in Indigenous communities, especially when you travel. If somebody knows you’ve come a long way, they look after you. You don’t even have to ask them. They’ll just come up to you and say “Did you eat yet? Come on, I’ll feed you.” We’re always taught you don’t refuse when somebody wants to feed you. It’s an insult. If they want to feed you, you say “sure” and you go along, even if you’ve already eaten.

T: You say you come out every weekend you can manage. What do you do during the week?

R: I am a loss prevention security officer at the Cote Market. It’s a grocery and gas station. I work Monday to Thursday. I also do a lot of other work in the community. I work with the youth, teaching about the drum and about our traditional First Nations culture. I’m really passionate about working with youth and making sure that the teachings and the culture are passed on from generation to generation. My two sons are pow wow singers and sing with me. I’ve had them sitting with me at the drum ever since they were three or four years old. I wanted to make sure that all those teachings and all of the songs and the ceremonies are carried on for the next generation, not only with my sons but with the other youth in the community as well.

T: You talked about how you gathered your regalia. Are there any other aspects of it that you’d like to talk about?

R: We’re taught to respect our regalia. We look after it. We don’t leave it laying around. We smudge it with sweetgrass. We feast it. We honor it. And by honoring it, looking after it, in return that regalia will look after us. It’s the same thing with the drums. We honor that drum and respect it, and that drum will look after us. In most of my travels, whenever I go somewhere, I always bring a drum with me. My sons and I believe that the drum looks out for us when we travel. It makes sure that we get to our destination, and that we get home safely, back to our home fire. It’s just something that we’re taught – to respect your regalia. Put it away nicely. Fold it up nicely. Look after it in a good way.

As Robert gets ready, Shelley helps Treaune.

K: Can you take us through a typical pow wow weekend?

R: Sure. We’ll start with this pow wow. Yesterday morning I started packing up before lunch. Sometimes if I get the opportunity, I’ll pack up the night before, especially if I’ve got to leave early. I find that when you’re packing up the vehicle it takes a long time to make it sure you have everything - your tent, your blankets, your regalia, your suitcase, your shirts, your breechcloths. You have to make sure you put all your feathers away nicely, so they don’t get wrecked or squished. I usually keep my feathers in a plastic Tupperware bin. Then we try to leave before noon, on Friday, and depending on how far we have to travel.

You get all packed and try to leave at a decent time, so you can get there and get to the pow wow a couple hours before Grand Entry. You’ve got to set up the tent, pick a good spot where you’re going to camp, and set up your shade. You take your feathers out, put your bustles together, put your roach together, and get your regalia all ready. I try not to arrive too late, so I don’t have to rush around at the last minute. That way when the Grand Entry starts at 7 o’clock, we’re ready to go.

The pow wow starts and if you’re watching the Grand Entry, you’ll see all the dancers coming in. They’ll start off with the Eagle Staff carriers (dancers carrying the Eagle Staff), and then right behind them you will have the veterans. They’re who we honor for their service, for our people. This is because a lot of the veterans volunteered. They didn’t have to go and fight, but they volunteered, because they knew if they didn’t, they didn’t know what kind of life their grandchildren would have. They knew when they went to fight in the world wars, and other wars, that they were going to help make sure that the unborn grandchildren get that good life, get freedom in this country that we call Canada. We have a lot to be thankful for, for the sacrifices that they made – going to the war, going to battle.

After the Grand Entry they’ll start the dance exhibition categories. They’ll start with Tiny Tots. They’ll move into the Junior Boys and Girls, Teen Boys and Girls, then Golden Age Men and Women. Then they’ll start the adults. Usually they’ll start with the women first, then the men.

You dance all weekend. If you’re camping, you’ll make a fire after the pow wow’s over and sit around and visit with your friends. You get up next morning and go find a place to shower. Usually they’ll have showers at the school or the arena. Obviously, if you have adopted family there they will say “come and shower at my place, we’ll have breakfast ready for you.” That’s the good thing about having adopted family, to look after you.

Then you get ready for Grand Entry again, which is Saturday at 1 PM. You start getting ready about 12 so that you’re all ready to go with all your regalia on. If you’re sitting with a drum group you’ve got to make roll call fifteen minutes before Grand Entry. At that time, all your singers need to be at the drum and ready to go. Once you’ve got your drum set up, you get your song ready and show it to all your singers. You make sure everybody’s on the same page. The head singing judge will count all your singers and make sure they’re all there. Sometimes they’ll make you sing a song, sometimes they’ll just make you hit your drum.

Pow wows are usually over on a Sunday. Sometimes they’ll end early, at eight or nine o’ clock. Sometimes they’ll end late – two, three, sometimes four in the morning. It all depends on how big the pow wow is and how many dancers there are. You have to get through all the dance categories and make sure everybody has the opportunity to be judged.

T: Are there any major challenges you’ve faced as a dancer?

R: Keeping in shape, making sure you’re able to keep up with that drum beat. Keeping your regalia up to par. A lot of the dancers make new regalia every year - new beadwork, new shirts, dancing shirts, new dresses. Some of them have the same outfit for a few years.

T: Is there anything you’re particularly proud of as far as achievements as a dancer?

R: I’m really proud of my sons. I taught them how to sing, and I don’t need to be at the drum now for them to sing. They can do it all on their own. They can start a song. They know what kind of drum beat goes with what particular song. I’m proud that they both dance. Mostly, I’m proud that I lead by example for them. I show them that you don’t need drugs or alcohol to have a good time. You don’t need to go down that road. You walk this road here, the red road. You follow our teachings, our traditional ways, our ceremonies. We sing our ceremony songs. My sons help out at the ceremonies. We go to the sweat lodges, we go to the pow wows in the summer time.

Talon (Traditional Dancer) with Tanisha.

My sons make a lot of friends. They’ve got young fellas coming to watch them sing and wanting to sing with them at the drum. They’ll ask them “where’s your next pow wow, I’ll sing with you there.” I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve shown not only my sons, but my nephews and a lot of the other young men in my community how to sing and drum. I’ve helped spark that interest for them to be around the drum and learn the ways of our people.

As for myself, I’m just happy to be out there in that circle dancing. If I win, I win, and if I don’t, I don’t. I mean, if you win sometimes it’s nice, but that’s not why I dance.

K: How does a dancer start to learn?

R: You can learn by watching, but the best way is to get out there and dance. Feel that rhythm, put those moccasins on, and get out there and feel that drum beat, that heart beat. Because that’s what that is - a heart beat. That’s the same heart beat in each and every one of us. It’s the first sound we ever heard, even before we were born, in our mother’s womb. That’s why, the very first time you hear the drum beat: “boom, boom” you look around, saying “what is that? I heard that before, what is that?” And that’s why they say the drum is the heartbeat of mother earth. That’s our connection.

When you’re out there dancing, you feel that beat. You’re dancing, and your feet are tired, but that feeling is so good and that vibe and that energy so good that you just want to keep dancing. You’re just right into the zone. There’s no better feeling when you’re in that moment and just dancing and jamming and enjoying yourself, having fun, dancing for the people.

K: What are one or two things that are really important for non-Indigenous people to know about pow wows?

R: Pow wow is a celebration of life. Indigenous people, who’ve been here on Turtle Island (AKA North America) since the beginning of time, have been through a lot: cultural genocide, colonization, boarding school, residential school. You name it, we’ve been through it. We’re still here, and we’re a resilient people. The pow wow is a testament to that. We didn’t lose our culture, we didn’t lose our ways, we didn’t lose our teachings. We held onto it and we’re still here. What carried us through all those tough times were the songs, the dances, the ceremonies. We’re still able to wear our colors and our feathers.

In the early 1900s, pow wow was outlawed. We couldn’t do it, and we couldn’t practice our ceremonies. That just made Indigenous people want to make sure that we would carry it on, not only for ourselves but for future generations. We wanted to bring them up in that good way, in that good circle, with those good teachings. We sang our songs and passed them on. We taught them to the young ones. Now that all those young ones are Elders, they’re teaching those songs to the young ones. Just like I do with my sons, and the youth in my community. I teach them how I was taught when I first started singing.

Pow wows are a good thing - it’s who we are as Indigenous people. It helps us to self-identify, to see the different regalia and all these Nations come together for the same purpose. Whether you’re Cree, Nakota, Lakota, Dakota, Ojibwe - no matter who you are or where you come from across Turtle Island, you all come together in that circle, for those good feelings, those good songs, for those good beats, to visit, to make new friends, and to see your old friends. The winters are long and cold. During this time, dancers work on their regalia. Spring time is our new year, when the green grass grows. That’s when we get ready to pow wow outside again, breathe that fresh air and be under that warm sun, and we see our friends that we haven’t seen since last summer.

With Glen Pelletier from the Cowesess First Nation, near Broadview.

T: Is there anything else you’d like to say?

R: I’d just like to say that I love going to pow wows. I love the fact that my kids are involved. My daughters might not dance now but I know some day they will make it back to the circle. I can see it, when they’re sitting on the side lines watching. I love watching my boys sing. I love watching them dance. It makes me feel good in my heart because, you know that, they’re going to grow up in a good way, with good teachings, inside the circle. And when they have their own families, then they’ll teach them the same things, they’ll be dancing with their kids too. And hopefully they find themselves a good wife who knows how to bead. I always tease them about that, “make sure you find a wife who knows how to bead.”

Now we’re just waiting for the roll call. It’s probably going to be right away. And right after that we all go line up by the entrance, and that’s the Grand Entry. We come in dancing.

K: Robert, thank you very much for talking with us today.

R: You’re welcome. If you think of anything else, don’t hesitate to ask me. I enjoy speaking to people and sharing some of the teachings and the knowledge that comes with pow wow.

Robert Severight.

Robert Severight lives on the Cote First Nation near Kamsack, where his mother is from. His father is from California, and is Yokut from Tule River (on his mother’s side) and Chumash from Saint Ynez Santa Barbara (on his father’s side). His dad came to Canada and met his mother in Vancouver in the early 1970s. Robert was born in Regina and, as a young boy, lived in Winnipeg, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Seattle. He also lived in California for 6 months on his father’s reservation. When Robert was in his teens, his parents decided to move back home to the Cote First Nation.

All photos by Kristin Enns-Kavanagh unless otherwise noted.

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