Indigenous traditions were honoured at a High River event.
Blackfoot elder Shirley Hill showed off her fancy dance and hoop dance for onlookers, with a hands-on demonstration on how to hoop dance following her performance, for Alberta Culture Days on Sept. 14.
Hill, 61, explained that the fancy shawl dance is typically performed by young women due to how physically demanding it is, before proceeding to defy her own statement and impress the audience with her moves.
Following the dance demonstrations, a storytelling and beadmaking event was held at The Venue.
The event, focused on reconciliation and honouring Indigenous traditions through dance, regalia, storytelling and art, was part of the province-wide Alberta Culture Days 2024 celebrations happening throughout September. A list of events across Alberta is available here.
The event marked the fourth year that the High River Performing Arts Foundation has hosted Blackfoot dancers.
