Rocky Boy Christmas Celebration

The Rocky Boy Christmas Celebration is kicking off this Friday at Stone Child College’s Little Bear Gymnasium.

The two-day event will have various events that are all open to the public.

Organizer Dustin Whitford said that the Chippewa Cree communities have suffered a great loss this year with several community members dying every week for the past several months.

He said the communities need this celebration to honor the ones who have died and begin to heal as well as to welcome the new year.

The events are open to everyone to join, Whitford added.

Friday at 10:30 a.m. a traditional feast will be held, he said, which will involve a traditional peace pipe and a prayer to bless the food.

This will be followed by a community feed at 5 p.m. and a round dance at 7 p.m., Whitford said.

The poster for the event said the featured singers for Friday will be Harvey Dreaver from Big River, Canada, Dallas Waskahat from Frog Lake, Canada, Marlon Deschamps from Maskwacis, Canada, and Rylan Baker from Mandaree, North Dakota.

It adds that all singers invited are to bring their own drums. All lead singers selected by the stick man will be paid and all lady backup singers will be acknowledged, it said.

The poster said Saturday dancer and drum group registration opens at 9 a.m..

At 1 p.m. a grand entry will be held, followed by a community feed at 5 p.m. and another grand entry at 7 p.m.

Payouts for different categories and age groups for dancers will be awarded.

The master of ceremony will be Daryl Wright II and the stick man will be Samatt “Rooster” Top Sky.

For more information, people can call Whitford at 395-5705.