This was a great surprise to me, but they actually post guards at the entrance gate to search your vehicle for drugs and alcohol. I didn't know what to expect apart from the cowboy events and a big party with first nations people from around the province, the country and even the continent, here to celebrate their communities and culture. The grounds are filled with tipis, tents and mobile homes to accommodate the thousands of visitors. The air is thick with the smoke of fires set to prepare meals and take away the chill of the night. Jewelry and t-shirts are offered for sale.
Kids roam the field, flicking frisbees, firing popguns, running and laughing.
All this looks like any country fair anywhere. Then you enter another world, another time in the huge wooden canopy built like an open sided tipi. Stands of bleacher seats ring the central performance pad. The dancers cue at the entrance. Drummers pound a rhythmic mesmerizing beat and sing a shrill song, a tremulous sustained scream.