A photo from the 2026 Swan Lake First Nation Competition Powwow
A bus trip to the Swan Lake First Nation 28th Annual Competition Pow Wow gave dozens of newcomers to Canada an opportunity to experience Indigenous culture firsthand, only days after arriving in the country.
The excursion, organized through a partnership between the Truth and Action Working Group and Regional Connections, brought nearly 60 people from across southern Manitoba to the event on Saturday. About 25 participants boarded buses in Morden and Winkler, with most of them newcomers to Canada. Additional groups travelled from Notre Dame de Lourdes and Portage la Prairie.
“We had newcomers with us who had been in Canada for five days,” said Truth and Action Working Group volunteer Diane Hildebrand.
Participants included people from Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Venezuela.
The day began with a community tour led by Swan Lake First Nation community support worker Candace Mousseau before the group headed to the powwow grounds for the grand entry.
Hildebrand said participants enjoyed traditional foods, visited vendors, and watched dancers in regalia throughout the afternoon.
Although Chief Jason Daniels invited the visitors to take part in the grand entry, the group chose instead to watch from the arbor. Even so, they were welcomed publicly by the event’s master of ceremonies.
Hildebrand said one of the day’s highlights came during the intertribal dances, when everyone was invited to join.
“I went out with three of the young girls who are newly here from Nigeria and danced with them in the circle with everyone else,” she said. “That was awesome.”
Hildebrand said several newcomers recognized similarities between the powwow and celebrations in their own cultures.
“One of the Nigerian men said to me that you see so many parallels in the kinds of dances that are significant in their culture,” she said. “The drumming, the dancing, all of that looks different, but it also has a familiar feel.”
The trip also provided an opportunity to discuss Canada’s history with Indigenous Peoples.
Hildebrand said those conversations became more difficult during the ride home as volunteers explained the legacy of colonization and residential schools.
“It was the joy of having people who are so new to Canada participate in something that many lifelong Canadians haven’t done,” she said. “At the same time, we wanted to tell the whole story and be honest about the difficult parts of our history.”
Despite a mechanical problem with one of the buses on the return trip, Hildebrand said the response from participants was overwhelmingly positive.
She credited Regional Connections staff member Tina Rempel with expressing what many participants were thinking.
“She said, ‘We need to do this again next year.'”
The event was organized in less than two weeks, making the strong turnout even more encouraging.
Hildebrand hopes more local residents will consider attending future powwows, whether independently or as part of an organized group.
“I think people sometimes feel uncomfortable because they don’t know what to expect or whether they’re welcome,” she said. “The First Nations are always welcoming of us to be there, to participate, and to celebrate their culture with them.”
The Truth in Action Working Group hopes to organize another group trip to a local powwow next year.
Regional Connections provides services in multiple communities in rural Manitoba.
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