Calgary Stampede Powwow champions include father, son duo
Global News
The three-day event, which wrapped up Thursday evening, featured drummers and dancers from across North America competing for $175,000 in total prize money.
A father and son were among the winning dancers at the Calgary Stampede powwow held for the first time inside the Saddledome.
Sheldon Scalplock Jr. won the men’s chicken junior category, while his father Sheldon Scalplock Sr. won in the men’s junior chicken senior category.
“Words can’t explain how I feel to share the spotlight with my dad,” Scalplock Jr. said.
The pair are from Siksika Nation, east of Calgary, but Scalplock Jr. now lives in Red Mesa, Arizona.
Scalplock Sr. has been dancing since 1969, and said it was a moment of pride to compete at the powwow, which he felt was back at the “centre stage” of this year’s Calgary Stampede.
“I’m 60 years old and I’m proud to say I can still keep dancing like the 18-year-olds,” Scalplock Sr. said. “I want to congratulate my son, I’m so proud of him.”
The chicken dance originates from the Blackfoot people and mimics the movements of a prairie chicken.
It’s a dance and tradition that Scalplock Sr. said has been passed down through the family for generations.