I arrived in Fort St. John just as the morning light was breaking through the clouds, casting a golden glow across the North Peace Arena. Already, the parking lot was filling with vehicles bearing license plates from across British Columbia, Alberta, and as far north as the Yukon Territories. Inside, the unmistakable rhythm of drums echoed throughout the building, a heartbeat calling people home.
“We’re expecting over 4,000 visitors this weekend,” Connie Greyeyes told me, her voice barely audible above the growing bustle. As chair of the Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow Society, Greyeyes has watched this gathering grow from humble beginnings in 2015 to one of northeastern BC’s largest cultural celebrations. “This isn’t just about preserving traditions—it’s about healing and reclaiming what was once forbidden.”
The 2024 Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow, running from June 7-9, marks a significant milestone in the cultural resurgence happening across Treaty 8 territory. More than 300 dancers from various Nations are participating this year, their regalia transforming the arena into a kaleidoscope of colors, textures, and stories worn on bodies in motion.
Between drumbeats, Elders share stories with younger generations. One such Elder, Margaret Yahey from Blueberry River First Nations, sits surrounded by her grandchildren as she points to different dancers entering the circle. “Each step has meaning,” she explains, gently tapping her cane to the rhythm. “When I was young, we couldn’t gather like this. Now I bring my grandchildren so they can know who they are.”
For many Indigenous peoples in northern communities, pow wows represent more than cultural expression—they embody resistance and resilience. The federal government’s potlatch ban, which criminalized traditional ceremonies from 1884 until 1951, created generations of disconnection from cultural practices. Events like the Spirit of the Peace help bridge those gaps.
“My grandmother was sent to residential school in Lower Post,” says Jayme Morin, a jingle dress dancer from Fort Nelson First Nation. “She wasn’t allowed to speak her language or practice our ways. Today, I dance for her and for my daughter.” Morin’s regalia features 365 jingles—small metal cones that create a rain-like sound with each step—each one hand-rolled and attached by family members across three generations.
The pow wow represents more than just a weekend celebration for northeastern BC’s Indigenous communities. It stands as a vital economic and social gathering in a region often dominated by resource extraction industries. Local businesses and hotels report being fully booked months in advance, while Indigenous artisans and food vendors find rare opportunities to showcase their work to broad audiences.
“This event pumps approximately $750,000 into the local economy,” explains Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen, who attended the grand entry ceremony. “But more importantly, it creates space for cultural understanding in a region where tensions between industry and Indigenous rights can run high.”
Indeed, the pow wow’s location—in the heart of BC’s natural gas development region—carries symbolic weight. Many of the Nations represented here are simultaneously engaged in complex negotiations with energy companies and the provincial government over land use and resource extraction within their traditional territories.
The Canadian government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified cultural revitalization as essential to healing from the intergenerational trauma of residential schools. Events like the Spirit of the Peace embody this principle, creating physical spaces where Indigenous knowledge systems can thrive.
“When our young people see thousands of people celebrating our culture, it changes how they see themselves,” explains Garry Oker, former chief of Doig River First Nation and a cultural advisor for the pow wow. “For too long, our children only heard negative narratives about being Indigenous. Here, they witness the beauty and strength of their identity.”
The pow wow features competition dancing across multiple categories—men’s traditional, fancy dance, grass dance, women’s jingle dress, and fancy shawl—with substantial cash prizes. But veteran participants emphasize that competition isn’t the primary purpose.
“The contest aspect helps draw dancers from across Turtle Island,” explains head judge Clayton Gauthier from Prince George. “But the real purpose is to strengthen community bonds and pass down traditions. When we say ‘All my relations’ in the circle, we acknowledge connections to everyone and everything—past, present, and future.”
Community health workers from nearby Nations have set up information booths around the arena’s perimeter, recognizing that cultural connection directly impacts wellbeing. Research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has demonstrated strong correlations between cultural continuity and reduced suicide rates in Indigenous communities.
As afternoon transitions to evening, families spread blankets across the arena floor for the community feast. The air fills with scents of bannock, stewed moose meat, and saskatoon berries. Conversation flows easily between strangers who hours ago were from different communities but now share stories over plates of food.
Near the entrance, a small exhibit displays historical photographs of Indigenous gatherings from the Peace Region dating back to the early 1900s. The images show how regalia and ceremonial practices adapted through periods of prohibition and revival.
“Our ancestors hid these ceremonies to keep them alive,” Elder Clarence Apsassin tells a group of youth gathered around the photos. “They would have been so proud to see this today—so many Nations coming together in the open, with pride.”
As night falls on Fort St. John, the drumming intensifies. Tomorrow will bring more dancing, more sharing, more strengthening of the cultural fabric that connects these northern communities. In a region often defined by its natural resources, the Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow reminds us that the most valuable resource has always been the people and their unbreakable connection to this land.
