The Kamloopa Powwow Society apologizes for the entry requirements that hundreds of people online say are obsolete and discriminatory.
The rules of the Kamloops, BC area event state that contestants must have “at least a quarter of native blood,” act in full suits, and “be of the right gender for the category.” They also have requirements that dancers must have the full costumes to participate.
The outcry began after the organization published the event scheduling on their Facebook page.
Although the same rules have been in place for more than two decades, members of the public, and in particular members of the two-spirit indigenous community, began to point out how limited participation was in the largest powwow in the western part of the world. Canada.
Kairyn Potts, a two-spirit advocate and TikToker with more than 230,000 followers, was one of the first to set gender regulations, as well as ancestry requirements known as blood quantum.
“A group of people on the payroll committee had to collectively decide to publicly announce that they don’t want to create space or tolerate any individual who wants to dance a category apart from their correct gender,” he said in his Instagram post.
“This is deliberate and calculated discrimination against an already vulnerable group of people. Not to mention, it’s a big step backwards for our communities,” Potts said.
He says he felt he had to comment because of the high death rates among indigenous and queer youth and he thought it was important that these spaces of cultural expression be safe for all people.
He said his posts are not intended to criticize the people behind the event, but rather to draw attention to the inequality of the rules and present an opportunity for change.
“Dismissed and discredited”
More concerns about the rules were echoed in dozens of comments and other online posts, and others were added to the discussion.
Kamloops Pride posted a post to make sure people in the two-spirit and queer community feel supported.
“They feel like they’re fired and discredited and invalid in their culture and communities,” society president Ashton O’Brien said.
They also asked Kamloopa organizers to review and change policies to be more inclusive.
Kamloopa Powwow Society president Delyla Daniels says values have changed and there is more openness to people with two spirits, along with a change in who can be considered indigenous. (Photo courtesy of YouTube)
Another area where people are asking for a change is the requirement that dancers have the full costumes to participate in the grand entrance and competition.
Published apology
Following online criticism of the rules, Kamloopa Powwow Society president Delyla Daniels posted an apology video.
“I don’t know how we’re going to recover from that. We’ve impacted so many people,” he said.
In apology, Daniels points out that current values have changed and there is more openness to people with two spirits along with a change in who can be considered indigenous.
He says the rules were added more than two decades ago to address the concerns of seniors and the community about who should be allowed to participate in the competition.
The event has a separate independent board of the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation from the Kamloops area.
Daniels says society is reevaluating the rules.
“The KPS board has been able to meet to discuss how we will move forward and looking at these rules and doing our wrong, right.”
Opportunities for change
Potts saw the apology online and says he is grateful that society has apologized.
“It’s a step in the direction … something bigger than the organizers. It’s bigger than that.”
He suggests that an easy change would be to eliminate any gender and sex requirements in the competition.
“Instead of having a ‘luxury shawl for women,’ just having an elegant shawl category and whoever dances an elegant shawl, no matter how you identify yourself, will get into it.”
Another Vancouver grass advocate and dancer, Larissa Healey, suggests that Kamloopa could host a two-spirit special at the upcoming event.
“You can always fix it … if they organize a two-spirit special, that will put them on a reconciliation platform.”
Both Potts and Healey said they will be looking to see what the committee behind the Kamloopa Powwow Society is doing and that they are optimistic about possible changes.
Kamloopa is scheduled to run from July 29-31.
Daybreak Kamloops10: 09Kamloopa Powwow apologizes after online controversy
Kamloopa Pow Wow is being called on social media for its regulations which are considered obsolete and discriminatory.