Rocky Boy celebration set to run this week

The annual Chippewa Cree Celebration is back in full swing for 2022 on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation this week.

After the events were canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and limited community events last year - including a powwow that was very popular with the Havre public, hosted by Northern Winz Casino in conjunction with the 2021 Great Northern Fair - 2022 will finally see a full slate of events on Rocky Boy, including a youth conference and powwow, the Rocky Boy Powwow, a youth rodeo, an Indian Nationals Finals Rodeo-sanctioned rodeo, stick game tournaments, a sobriety walk and Indian relay races.

The week of celebration gets started with the youth events Wednesday, Aug. 3, and Thursday, Aug. 4.

The Rocky Boy Kids Rodeo is Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena in Box Elder. Youth up to 18 years old will be competing in several events, including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping, steer riding, chute dogging and flag race, as well as team roping and others.

The inaugural Chippewa Cree Youth Cultural Education and Healing Conference starts 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds for kids in grades six to eight. They will be speaking with elders and veterans on cultural topics and Rocky Boy Clinic representatives on wellbeing, health and grief from losses due to COVID-19. They also will participate in cultural activities around indigenous plant identification and use. The conference will end with a cultural feast at noon Thursday prior to the start of the youth powwow.

The Rocky Boy Youth Powwow, with Grand Entries Thursday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., will be held for kids from tiny tots to 17 years old. This powwow gives youth in attendance a chance to dance among their peers, and youth new to powwow dancing will be honored for their initiation into traditional dancing.

All the youth who enter will be wearing full regalia, some new to them and some passed down to them. In spirit of celebrating youth participating in the cultural tradition of powwow, all the drum groups playing and singing for the dancers will be youths 17 and younger.

The 2022 Rocky Boy Powwow itself is set for Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 6. The Grand Entry times are 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, with dancers from 7 years old to seniors. Female dancers will be performing fancy, traditional, jingle, southern buckskin/cloth and male dancers fancy, traditional, grass, prairie chicken and southern straight in competition for prize money.

The powwow will also include several specials - extra dances sponsored by a person, family, group or organization, often to honor someone or an occasion. Host drums Motown and The Boyz will be performing the traditional drumming and singing, but singers will also have an opportunity to compete in a singing contest.

Along with the competition, the powwows will feature vendors from many states with food stands, clothing, blankets, jewelry, memorabilia and more. And traditional stick games will be held at the grounds all four days.

As well as the powwows and youth events, the week includes four days of INFR-sanctioned rodeo.

The 2022 Chippewa Cree INFR Tour Rodeo, an automatic qualifier of the INFR finals competition, will also be run at the arena in Box Elder. Main performances will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, through Saturday, Aug. 6, with slack at 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday. The final go-round will be Sunday with the top 12 competitors in the junior and senior categories starting at 10:30 a.m. and the short-go on the main performances starting at 1 p.m.

The INFR will bring in competitors from many states vying for a spot in the national finals in events that include barrels, bull riding, steer wrestling, saddle and bareback bronc riding, breakaway and calf roping, and more.

Northern Winz Casino is hosting Indian Relay Racing in conjunction with the celebration Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the track next to the casino on U.S. Highway 87. This extreme racing is fast and daring and will include heats for men and women. Admission will be charged for spectators, except those 3 and younger.

Another event being held this weekend is a skateboarding clinic at the Box Elder Skatepark Thursday, Aug. 4. Professional skateboarders known as the Girls On Shred will be coming in from Missoula to put on the clinic from noon into the afternoon. Girls On Shred held a well-attended clinic at the skatepark last year, and youths are invited to this event again. There will be snacks and beverages for participants.

For a quieter event, the Rocky Boy Diabetes Prevention Diabetes and ACE Program is hosting its Honoring the Elders Sobriety Walk, Friday, Aug. 5, with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the walk at 9 a.m., starting at Old Stone Child College and traveling to the Powwow Grounds. Water and food will be provided to the participants, along with a ride back to the college for participants to get their vehicles.

For more information on the walk, people can contact Shana Henry at [email protected] or 406-395-4836 or Terry Stump at [email protected] or 406-395-1675.

Celebration Locations

• Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds, on Agency Road, 12 miles from the Laredo Road/State Highway 334 turnoff, east, from U.S. Highway 87.

• Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena, Box Elder, go east then south 1½ miles on Third Avenue/Box Elder Road from U.S. Highway 87, then turn east onto Lower Road for ½ mile.

• Old Stone Child College, Rocky Boy Agency, corner of Agency Road and Taylor Road.

• Box Elder Skatepark, Third Avenue/Box Elder Road, about ½ mile from turnoff from U.S. Highway 87 in Box Elder.

• Romeo Race Track, north side of Northern Winz Casino, 11275 U.S. Highway 87, about 15 miles south of U.S. Highway 2.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, Aug. 3

• Chippewa Cree Youth Cultural Education and Healing Conference, 10 a.m., Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Rocky Boy Kids Rodeo, 2 p.m., Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena.

Thursday, Aug. 4

• 2022 Chippewa Cree INFR Tour Rodeo, slack 9 a.m., main performance, 6 p.m., Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena.

• Chippewa Cree Youth Cultural Education and Healing Conference, 10 a.m., Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Rocky Boy Youth Powwow, grand entries 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Stick Game Tournament, open games, evening, Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Skateboarding clinic, noon, Box Elder Skate Park, with professional skateboarders Girls On Shred.

Friday, Aug. 5

• Honoring the Elders Sobriety Walk, 8:30 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. walk, Old Stone Child College to Powwow Grounds.

• 2022 Chippewa Cree INFR Tour Rodeo, slack 9 a.m., main performance, 6 p.m., Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena.

• 2022 Rocky Boy Powwow, Grand Entry 7 p.m., Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Stick Game Tournament, open games, evening, Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

Saturday, Aug. 6

• Indian Relay Races, 1 p.m., Romeo Race Track at Northern Winz Casino.

• 2022 Rocky Boy Powwow, Grand Entries 1 p.m., 7 p.m., Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Stick Game Main Tournament, Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• 2022 Chippewa Cree INFR Tour Rodeo, main performance, 6 p.m., Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena.

Sunday, Aug. 7

• 2022 Chippewa Cree INFR Tour Rodeo Top 12/Short-go, Jrs./Srs. 10:30 a.m., main performance 1 p.m., Sybil Sangrey-Colliflower Memorial Arena.

• 2022 Rocky Boy Powwow, Grand Entry 1 p.m., Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.

• Indian Relay Races, 1 p.m., Romeo Race Track.

• Stick Game 3-Man Tournament, Rocky Boy Powwow Grounds.