"Big crowds at Six Nations 20th Pow Wow"

SIX NATIONS - They came to the Six Nations Pow Wow at Chiefswood Park this year from all over and they all came for many different reasons.

And on Saturday and Sunday, most of those who came and participated in the 20th anniversary of the Grand River Champion of Champions Pow Wow vowed that they would return next year.

"This is my 8th Pow Wow and I'll be back again next year," said Mac Cromwell of Brantford, one of 10,000 or more visitors that made their way to the Pow Wow on the weekend. "My wife Lois is a Six Nations Cayuga and she comes down to see friends and I like to come and watch the dancers."

Temperatures for the two day event were scorching, reaching a high of about 35 degrees Celcius on Saturday for the Grand Entry of more than 350 dancers taking part in the Pow Wow this year.

The dancers compete in several categories depending on their age and gender, with the youngest competitors being children of five years to the golden age participants who are 50 and older.

The dancers also compete for a share of $35,000 worth of prize money.

"This is my third Six Nations Pow Wow that I have been to," said 44 year old Jim Caagoonse McCue of Curve Lake. "The Pow Wows give me a chance to meet old friends, make new friends and pray for mother earth and my family. The dancing allows me to do the healing that needs to be done and of course we also come here to have fun."

McCue, who admitted to having problems with drugs and alcohol in the past, says he has been attending Pow Wows for the last seven years and uses them for his own recovery from these addictions.

"This is part of my healing," he said of his return to this years' Pow Wow. "This has helped me get a better understanding of who I am. It has helped give me back my identity."

"It's part of making my life one of balance and wellness."

While the dancing attracts most of the crowds attention during the two day event, this years' Pow Wow also attracted more than 100 people selling native crafts, clothing, jewelry and food.

Evelyn Spence of Hamilton, whose husband is from the Mohawk nation, says each Pow Wow that she attends is always different.

"Every time I come here, I learn something new," said Spence, after learning more about the "last Warrior" from one of the local vendors at the Pow Wow.

Charlene Bomberry, a member of the organizing committee, told reporters at the Pow Wow how the event began 20 years ago on Six Nations.

"There was a group of us from the Six Nations that were always going to Pow Wows," Bomberry said. "We thought; why not hold one here at Six Nations."

The weather turned ugly on Saturday night, but the rains were short lived and the Pow Wow went off without any weather problems all weekend long.