#Kahkewistahaw #FirstNation holds 1st #TeaDance in 80 years
The First Nation invited Cree lodge keeper Ken Saddleback from Maskwacis, Alta., to teach the community about the tea dance during a traditional gathering this month.
August 12, 2025
"It's been 80 years since the Cree community of Kahkewistahaw First Nation held a tea dance so this year they decided to include it in their week-long traditional gathering earlier this month.
Tea dance leader and lodge (ceremonies) keeper Ken Saddleback, a member of Samson Cree Nation from Maskwacis, Alta., drove almost 1,000 kilometres to the community about 170 kilometres east of Regina, and brought along some of his family, to help teach about the old dance.
Saddleback said back in the day they used to call it the drunk dance.
"You can act crazy and dance any style. It's just to make people laugh," said Saddleback.
Saddleback said long ago, a grandmother had a vision that showed her a sickness would come after new people arrived on their lands and millions would be wiped out.
By doing the dance, people hoped the sickness would think they were crazy and pass over them, said Saddleback, and in his home community they have two to three tea dances a week, sometimes even every day."
Read more:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/tea-dance-kahkewistahaw-maskwacis-1.7606147
Watch: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6864766
#TraditionalCeremonies #IndigenousTraditions #IndigenousPeople #IndigenousPeoplesDay #FirstNations #CulturalHeritage #CulturalPreservation
Dallas Eagle
DJ Tim Staney
DoomsdaysCW
Sim Barr
nol@n
Corgi Dad