Grand River Champion of Champions Powwow

Project Description:

The Grand River Champion of Champions Powwow is one of the largest in North America and has been celebrating native cultural for over 40 years. Each year thousands of visitors come to Chiefswood Park, on the grounds of the former Estate of the Mohawk Poetess E. Pauline Johnson, at the Six Nations of the Grand River Community, to enjoy the food, dancing, singing and regalia of the hundreds of participants and competitors.

In 2018, the organizing committee of the Powwow reached out to Cobalt Connects on the recommendation of a fellow Six Nations cultural agency that we’d been working with. The Powwow, like many growing cultural events of their age, wanted to explore their future ~ looking at volunteer fatigue, sponsorship and granting, site logistics, parking, and all the logistical elements that make for a world-class event.

Cobalt Connects assembled a team of artists and event producers to provide an audit of their event. The team visited the Powwow with a prescribed approach to gathering information from a visitor perspective – gathering data, taking photos and experiencing the event with a critical eye. The process revealed a number of issues and opportunities, and confirmed the thinking of the organizing committee.

Based on our findings, the intention was to continue working with the Powwow Organizing Committee to assist with grant writing, logistics planning and some strategic educational and programmatic initiatives.  Unfortunately due to COVID-19, the Powwow has been cancelled but will surely return. More than ever Cobalt Connects feels that events like the Grand River Champion of Champions Powwow are needed to create opportunities for cultural sharing and learning.

Client: Grand River Champion of Champion Powwow

Collaborators: PowWow Organizing Committee, a team of experienced event producers

Website: http://www.grpowwow.ca

Community: Six Nations

Date: 2018