LAC LA BICHE – When Lac La Biche Summer Days returns this August long weekend, it will be doing so under its original name, Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days.
According to Ian Cloutier, treasurer of the Lac La Biche Pow Wow and Fish Derby Association, the decision to revert to the name ‘Pow Wow Days’ was made during the organization’s most recent annual general meeting (AGM) on March 12.
The popular event, which has been taking place in the community since the 1960s, was rebranded as Lac La Biche Summer Days a few years ago.
Cloutier explained that during the AGM held at the Lac La Biche Heritage Society, there were several residents in attendance who were happy to be part of Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days and wanted to be included in the event.
“So, a motion was made to revert it back to the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days and was unanimously accepted,” he said.
New board
A new board comprised of 14 members was also chosen during the AGM.
Omer Moghrabi, a former mayor of Lac La Biche County, who has been involved with the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days organizing group for close to six decades, is now president of the organization.
In addition to Moghrabi, the other members are Amanny Abougouche (vice president), Cloutier (treasurer), Chantel Sparklingeyes (secretary), and directors Hazel Costa, Ken Staples, Rene Schaub, Michael Lameman, Shawn McDonald, Kristie Cardinal, Roxanne Boucher, Ali Fyith, Heyam Taha, and Ed Thring.
Moghrabi, who has held different positions with the Pow Wow Days Association, including previously active as a director, said the position of president was vacant, so he decided to take on the role.
Being president, he said, will bring the opportunity to make changes, including rescinding some old bylaws that are on the books. He was also supportive of changing the name back to its original name.
“I felt that we really needed to reclaim the name and move it forward,” he said.
The name ‘Pow Wow Days,’ Cloutier said, is synonymous with the fun childhood memories residents have of attending the August long weekend event, including current members of the association.
“It’s our signature summer event for Lac La Biche,” he said. “Everybody around the table was sharing stories about the good times that they had, and how can we bring that back.”
The response from the community regarding the name change, Cloutier said, has been very positive. It has brought about a sense of refreshment for people.
“We’ve had very encouraging feedback so far,” he said.
Bylaw rescinded
A major speaking point of the AGM, Cloutier said, was a bylaw that had been put in place by a previous board, which stipulated that those who live in the communities of Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Heart Lake First Nation, as well as Kikino and Buffalo Lake Métis settlements could not be a paid member, voting member, or be on the board of the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days Association.
Those who are currently involved with the board are unaware of why this bylaw was initially put in place. This bylaw has since been rescinded during the March 17 meeting of the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days Association.
Simply put, the bylaw was discriminatory and racist, said Michael Lameman, a council member with Beaver Lake Cree Nation who is now part of the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days Association board.
Lameman became aware of the bylaw when he was invited to sit on the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days planning committee. He was shocked by the bylaw, saying it basically welcomed Indigenous people to participate, but gave them no voice.
“It just jumped out at me . . . in my opinion, they tokenized the Indigenous community,” Lameman said. “It blew my mind."
Lameman rallied people he knew around the Lac La Biche area to come to the March 12 AGM to voice their concerns about the bylaw, and to have it rescinded.
“We were able to have a good showing and make the other Indigenous and Métis communities aware of what this bylaw basically stated,” he said.
Now that the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days Association has a new board, bylaws are being amended and will be more inclusive and respectful to Indigenous communities in the Lac La Biche area, said Lameman.
When asked about reverting the name back to Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days, Lameman said the change will enhance the event and help to promote Indigenous culture.
“I think it’s going to bring back that nostalgic traditional event that we all grew up knowing,” he said. “My hope is this name change is just going to be the start of a more culturally diverse event where we can highlight and share our culture.”
Planning for summer
The board is now working out what events will be happening for the 2025 edition of Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days.
According to Cloutier, the theme that the association has consistently heard from people in the community is to focus on making Pow Wow Days a great occasion for children, as it was for them when they attended as children themselves.
Organizers also want to bring back previous events that were once part of the annual Pow Wow Days celebrations. Those events include a talent competition, weekend-long music in McArthur Park featuring local bands and artists, a parade, a fish fry, 25-cent bingo, a baseball tournament, as well as a larger midway.
“We have commitment for the full midway this year . . . last year, we only had half of the ride company,” said Cloutier. “It’s going to be twice as big for rides, which is so awesome . . . We’re glad to see that.”
