First Nation powwow group warms up Block Heater festival crowds

A smaller and snowier version of the Calgary Folk Festwill be taking over Inglewood this weekend.

This year's Block Heater festival will feature 25 local, national and international artists playing four different indoor venues in the southeast neighbourhood.

The winter festival kicks off with a performance from Eya-HayNakodaa powwow group from the Stoney Nakoda First Nation.

The group was founded by Rod and Anders Hunter, a father and son from the MorleyReserve, located about an hour west of Calgary.

Family band

Eya-HayNakoda has been together since 1994 and has won several championships around North America.

Rod Anders, who is well known in the powwow scene, gathered a few relatives together to form the group.

He says these days, powwow singing has become rather commercialized and groups often pull in "ringers" from other reserves to make their sound.

"The only difference with us is we're a family drum my sons, my grandsons, my nephews, my brother-in-law," he said.

"We don't use ringers at all. And if we did have a ringer, we'd adopt him," he said with a laugh on the Calgary Eyeopener Friday morning.

Focus on the melody

The group's name means mountain, because they are the mountain people,according to Anders.

But the group sometimes mixes things up and jams with other singers from other First Nations groups, like the Apache, Blackfoot, Cree and Navajo.

For people not familiar with powwow drums, the best way to enjoy the music is to focus on the melody.

"Traditionally, the songs would be carried out in a melody chant and that's what you would listen to the flow of the chant, the melody, it kind of resembles a feeling, a mood," he said.

Music respects animals

The group's songs are highly revered in their community. Anders saysthe group's drums are blessed by an elder to give it life. And life, Rod says, is what their drums are all about.

"Our drums used to be alive the tree, the buffaloor the moose. Hand drums are made from deer hide and elk hide," he said.

"We really show our respect for those animals by singing appropriately."

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Eya-HeyNakodakicks off the Block Heater festival Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Festival Hall. With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.