It’s a bittersweet feeling for Nicole Schellenberg as her reign as Between the Lakes Pow Wow Princess comes to an end, but she’s grateful for the opportunity and excited to pass on the crown this weekend.
“Being a princess is about being able to be who you are and what you represent, and being confident about yourself,” said Schellenberg.
The fifteen year old has attended two powwows, with this weekend marking her third. She also recently took up the tradition of jingle dancing— a traditional healing dance started by the Ojibwa Tribe.
“I saw a medicine man about a year and a half ago and he asked if I was a dancer, which I wasn’t. He said all he could see was my feet moving and that I should try it out.”
At the time, the education department of the Penticton Indian Band was running a sewing and dance program that helped dancers practice and sew their own regalia. Schellenberg took this as the perfect opportunity to kickstart her passion.
“I started practicing dancing about two months before I started powwow’ing. Me and my friends all learned footwork (online).”
After being selected as the Between the Lakes Pow Wow’s Princess last year, Schellenberg has been able to attend other powwows in the area with her title and connect with other princesses.
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“You get to meet a lot of new people. At powwows I go into grand entry and line up with all the other princesses. Then we all have to say a speech in front of everyone saying who we are, where we’re from, and what we represent,” said Schellenberg.
Schellenberg’s love for powwow stems from her newfound love in dancing.
“Seeing everyone being able to dance in their own categories and seeing all the dancers with their different regalias and how much work they put into them — it’s just amazing.”
Schellenberg appreciated the opportunity to work with youth in her community throughout her reign. She met weekly with the Penticton Indian Band daycare and even made ribbon skirts for the children to use throughout the year.
For the young girls looking to become the next princess, Schellenberg has some words of wisdom.
“Be yourself, be who you are and be confident. I was super scared at first, it was one of my first powwows and I didn’t really know what I was doing. But I did it for my family so they can be proud of me, and seeing all the princesses out there, knowing that they can do it made me believe I could too.”
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And for those interested in starting dancing, Schellenberg says to just “dance hard and have fun,” and that it’s not about skill.
As for what’s next for Schellenberg, she hopes to attend bigger powwows in the future to compete for the title of princess again. In the meantime, she’ll continue dancing and try to encourage her brothers to join in on the fun. She’d also like to express her thanks to her family, friends, and pow wow organizer Kristine Jack.
The Between the Lakes Pow Wow is a drug and alcohol free event open to all. The powwow begins Aug. 17 at the Outma Sqilx’w Cultural School on the Penticton Indian Band Reserve.
For more information about the Between the Lakes Pow Wow, visit www.visitpenticton.com/event/pow-wow-between-the-lakes/.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
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