"19th Annual Pow Wow"

Over 100 vendors were at this years' Pow Wow, selling jewelry, crafts, clothing and foods to their visitors, some of whom came from all parts of the world.

"This is very nice, very big," said Leonard Hoogenboom, who lives in Holland and is visiting this area for two weeks. "It was a very nice opening ceremony with all of the colours."

"The people here are big, friendly, we wish we could stay for a month and not just two weeks", said Henni Hoogenboom. "This is a marvelous place, we like it here."

John Bach, a farmer from Port Dover, says he's been to several Grand River Pow Wows before. He and his wife were accompanied this year by their daughter and son-in-law from Germany.

"I'm always impressed with the tradition," said Bach. "There's a lot of work involved. It takes them a whole year to get ready for this, to get their costumes finished."

Bach says he thinks it's important that people are proud of the things that make them different from everybody else -- and that this diversity is important in making Canada what it is.

"We can't all be Americans or English -- or should we want to be."

Living quite close to Six Nations, and because of his farming business, Bach says he knows his way around the area quite well. Still, he says, if he were to offer a suggestion for improving the Pow Wow in the future he

"You could get lost, especially once you get onto the reserve because the streets aren't well marked. We stopped to ask some kids for directions just so we wouldn't go a half-hour out of our way by mistake."

Katherine Bunn of Hamilton was at the opening ceremonies on Saturday and she was taken back from all of the elements of this years' pow wow, the first that she has ever attended.

"I'm astounded, I was watching the opening ceremonies and had goose bumps", she said. "The spirituality that you feel is very powerful. You feel a respect and a wisdom that you want to be connected to when you come here and it is quite the experience, one that I have enjoyed."