'She was our powwow dancer:' Tears shed as Ministikwan baby joins powwow circle after mother's death
Baby ‘has brought so much life back into our family after losing our sister,’ says aunt
For the family of a Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation woman who died less than two months ago, the smiles of the seven-month-old she left behind as he jolly jumped his way into the powwow circle this weekend have proved to be healing.
"That's the way Priscilla grew up. She grew up, right from when she was walking, she was dancing," said her sister Sharlyn.
When her son Kyrie was a newborn, she introduced him to traditional Cree dance by showing him YouTube videos of powwow dancing.
After Priscilla took her own life on March 30, Sharlyn and their mother Marlene found the only way they could calm Kyrie down was by showing him powwow videos.
They struggled, and still do, with the daily reminders of their loss, but made plans to head to the Makwa Sahgaiehcan powwow on the long weekend. For Sharlyn, it was a way to honour the wishes of her sister, who on her last day alive told Sharlyn that she wanted her son to be a grass dancer, which is a version of powwow dance.
On Saturday night, the crowd at the powwow prayed to bring healing to the Crookedneck family and to feed Priscilla's spirit by fulfilling her wishes for her little boy. Kyrie was looking up and smiling.
"None of us seen what he seen. Only God know I guess, and only him knows, I guess, what he seen because he seemed very happy," Marlene said.
Not knowing which type of dance he will end up choosing, the family got four different types of dancers to perform with Kyrie. They came from all four directions as Kyrie, wearing grass dancer regalia, became a focal point in the centre of the Loon Lake arena, moving with the music in his jolly jumper.
"On the honour beats they would come towards Kyrie and Kyrie would interact with them. Like, he would jump even harder when they came closer like he was so excited," Sharlyn recalled.
After barely being able to set foot through the front doors of the arena for the powwow without Priscilla, and feeling pangs of pain as they looked to the jingle dress dancers only to realize that for the first time Priscilla wasn't among them, the family found strength in the love and comfort of the powwow community.
"It brings a lot of healing to us," Sharlyn said.
"We have to go on but we always remember her. We always have her in our heart, we'll never forget her," Marlene said.
Video of dance sparks tears in person and on Facebook
Tristen Durocher did not know the Crookedneck family before attending the weekend powwow as a photographer, but after taking a short video of the final part of Kyrie's dance that has since reached more than 6,500 views on Facebook he had a chance to meet up with them.
"It was very impactful. A lot of people were crying, myself included. And I usually don't cry very often. What made me cry was how much love he received and how much support he received from the crowd," Durocher said.
He said he is grateful to have captured a brief moment of such a touching dance.
"I think because he is so young he represents a hope for the future for Indigenous people who watched that video. And when they see the people dancing around him and they see him smiling and jumping along with them, they see that our future is in good hands," he said.
The Crookednecks said they have been invited to powwows in other communities since the Saturday performance. An officer who responded after Priscilla's death held Kyrie during the Sunday Grand March at the powwow.