'You feel welcomed': Indigenous dancers connect at Edmonton powwow

Darrell Brertton's been a fancy dancer his whole life.

Brertton, from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, competed in the traditional dance category at the National Indigenous Cultural Expo Friday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.

The 21-year-old is one of2,500 expected performers at the powwow.Brertton said it's one of the biggest powwows he's ever seen in Canada.

"It's a pretty spectacular event because there's so many tribes that we haven't seen before," Brertton said.

"It's amazing. It's good energy."

Around 10,000 people were expected for the event Friday. Festivities for First Nations, Mtis and Inuit were scheduled, including dances, workshops and hand games.

Some dancers came from the United States, Brertton said, including some who may have been exposed to Inuit and Mtis cultures for the first time.

"There's a lot of people here who travelled far and wide [to get here]," he said. "I bet you there is a lot of States dancers that haven't heard of Inuit dancers."

More connected

For Elijah Halfe, the spotlight of fancy dancing doesn't scare him like it used to.

The 14-year-old has been dancing for a decade and it hasn't always been easy for him. "When I was younger, I was really shy," Halfe said. but now I can walk out there and dance."

Halfe dances with many of his friends, some of whom he dances against in the same category.

He doesn't let it affect their friendship, though.

"It doesn't really change our friendship or anything. It just makes us more close in the end," Halfe said.

Both Halfe and Brertton said the powwows make them feel connected to themselves, their loved ones and their culture.

"It provides a lot of opportunity to make a lot of memories," Brertton said.

"It kind of makes you feel closer with yourself and everyone else," Halfe said. "You don't feel lonely. Everyone's around you. You feel welcomed."

The National Indigenous Cultural Expo continues through the weekend.