This woman was Pabineau First Nation powwow's first female master of ceremonies

This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You cansee more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.

Ashley Sanipass never saw a woman act as a powwow's master of ceremonies when she was young.

When it finally happened, it was Sanipass herself who took on the role.

It's the job of an MC to keep a powwow flowing, making sure everything stays on schedule. They also provide teachings along the way, Ann Paul said.

WATCH | Ashley Sanipass shares what it's like to be MC at a powwow:

This woman never saw a female MC at powwows, so she became one

1 year ago

Duration 2:12

Ashley Sanipass of Indian Island, near Richibucto, was the master of ceremonies at the Pabineau First Nation powwow.

Sanipass, from Indian Island in New Brunswick, made a social media post about the lack of women in MC roles at powwows. The post caught the eyes of powwow committees, and the invitations started arriving: Would Sanipass do it herself?

Scroll through the photos and watch the video to see how Sanipass celebrated the community whose powwow she MCed, and how the community celebrated her in turn.

Ann's Eye

Photographer Ann Paul brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick.Click hereor on the image below to see more of her work.