Kainai Powwow and Celebration 2026
Blood Tribe Chief and Council Feast and Honour Dance and Giveaway Recap
Photos and Story Blood Tribe Communications Officers Amber Sugai and Henry Heavyshield
On Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Red Crow Park in Standoff, AB., Blood Tribe Chief and Council hosted their annual Community Feast. Chief and Council and Blood Tribe Administration staff volunteers helped serve 1,200 community members and visitors to a delicious meal of KFC. The atmosphere was full of laughs and the smell of gravy as attendees were able to make their rounds and take in the rest of the afternoon’s events on a full stomach.
Then on Sunday, July 19, 2026, Chief and Council held the annual Honour Dance and Giveaway in the arbour. The Feast and Giveaway reflect our nation’s shared values of generosity and hospitality, providing an opportunity to honour guests and thank membership for their continued support.
During his address at Sunday’s Giveaway, Chief Travis Plaited Hair (Aakaayaamihtsinima) welcomed visitors and reminded us of the importance of such events.
“These are some of the things that our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents always remind us, and I was told this over and over again growing up: when you have a visitor, you treat them like royalty. You give them anything they need. And that’s the message that I’ve been putting across here at the Kainai Indian Days and other gatherings that we have.”
This year’s Kainai Powwow and Celebration welcomed approximately 880 powwow dancers and 19 drum groups, whose talents were on full display all weekend long. In addition to the powwow, attendees and community members also enjoyed a variety of events, including the Marvel-themed parade in Standoff, AB., organized by the Kainai Community Committees, the rodeo, the annual golf and softball tournaments, and the Kainai Princess Pageant.
We would like to congratulate all contestants and this year’s winners for their accomplishments: Kainai Sr. Princess Gracia First Rider, Kainai Jr. Princess Charlize Shade, and Kainai Tiny Tots Princess Oaklyn Tailfeathers. We wish them all the best as they represent Kainai in the forthcoming year.
During her address at Sunday’s Giveaway, Blood Tribe Councillor Dorothy First Rider expressed her thanks to all the visitors and community members in attendance.
“People of the Kainai Nation, we are so proud that you greeted and treated our visitors with a lot of happiness, warmth, respect and love. I would like to thank all the people that have assisted in making this powwow a success.”
We are grateful to Blood Tribe leadership and the many volunteers, organizers, sponsors, elders, and community members whose dedication made these events possible.
We hope all of membership and all visitors who attended this year’s Kainai Powwow and Celebration enjoyed their weekend. We look forward to welcoming everyone back again next year as we continue to celebrate powwow culture through song, dance, and community spirit.
Please enjoy the following photo-essays from Blood Tribe Communications capturing all the smiles and excitement from this year’s Feast and Giveaway.
