Sioux Valley Dakota Nation's new open-air arena makes debut at annual powwow

A southwestern Manitoba First Nation is celebrating its powwow this year with a new arbour that feels just like the "Roman Colosseum," according to the powwow's longtime MC.

The new two-storey arbour — an open-air arena where powwows take place — was completed just in time for Sioux Valley Dakota Nation's annual three-day powwow, which began Friday, said Chief Jennifer Bone.

Last year, a newly built arbour in the First Nation unexpectedly collapsed two weeks before the 2022 celebrations.

The new structure is a welcome addition to the community, said Bone.

"It's pretty exciting.… You don't realize how much larger it is than our old arbour until you walk inside," she said.

"It's really good and just lots of space, and I really like the bleachers and all the extra seating that we have now."

Sioux Valley powwow master of ceremonies Bill Taylor has been announcing at wacipis, or powwows, in Sioux Valley since 2005. The new arena feels like the "Roman Colosseum," he said.

As the MC, he gets the best seat in the house in the new "state-of-the-art" space, he said.

"It's really, really nice," said Taylor. "I'm gonna be announcing in a brand-new arena and you know, I'll be one of the first [in it].... I'm pretty excited about it."

Bone says the last arbour collapsed in 2022 due to an architectural error, and was never used for Sioux Valley's powwow.

After the arbour collapsed, last year's event was postponed to August and moved to a new location.

It was important to have the new arbour ready for the annual powwow, which has historically always taken place in the third week of July, Bone said.

Sioux Valley was able to build the new structure with money from insurance and has been working with Keller Developments, a contracting company. Work on the structure began in May and was just completed earlier this month.

The two-storey structure includes built-in bleachers, along with permanent light fixtures.

One of the most important aspects of the design was ensuring there was a place for elders to sit and watch dancers, Bone said. The space is wheelchair-accessible and sits higher up with special seating to ensure people have a clear view of the dancers.

There are still some additional touches that will be built in the arbour, including a teepee-type structure at the entrance used by the dancers for the powwow's grand entry.

The new replacement structure is long overdue in the community, Taylor said.

Sioux Valley sees some of the best dancers and drum groups visit for its powwow and wanted a structure to match their talents, the MC said.

He added Sioux Valley also wanted something for its members, because the local powwow is the only event some of them attend in the First Nation's territory each year.

Having a new arbour creates a vibrant experience for people attending this year's powwow, he said.

"Literally, the paint's still kinda wet in some spots," Taylor said with a laugh. "For our community, we were long overdue for something like this, and it's nice that we finally can say we got one... We're very lucky."

The arbour is used as a gathering space for several events in the community, including feasts or graduations throughout the year.

"We use that a lot for different things … activities like family days or whatever," Bone said.

There is a chance the new arbour will be used once again in August, when the Stanley Cup is expected to arrive with Sioux Valley member Zach Whitecloud of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, who won this year's NHL championship.

Bone says the First Nation is still working to see if that will be possible.

Taylor says as people arrived for this year's powwow, he could hear some talking about how impressive the new structure looked. He hopes it will make visitors happy.

"It is just going to be a great time and … you know, this is something we definitely need," Taylor said.