Members of the Samson Cree Nation gathered at Bear Hills Park in Maskwacis over the weekend to celebrate their culture.

The annual Samson Cree Nation Pow Wow took place Friday through Sunday and featured traditional drumming, dancing, a parade and more.

Over 1,200 dancers from around the world attended the event, from Arizona all the way to Europe and over 1,000 more spectators.

Volunteer and Elder Donald Muddy Bow Johnson has been involved with the Pow Wow for over a decade and said with the town facing a long stretch of social issues, he hopes events like these give children a better outlook on life.

“We’ve had problems with gangs and we don’t want them to go there anymore. We want to show them this Cree lifestyle and you see all these kids dancing. To me, it touches my heart when I see little kids do those kinds of things.”

Grace Baptiste’s 12-year-old granddaughter danced in the Grand Ceremony on Saturday and said these Pow Wows give young children a positive option.

“Young people see what’s happening with the teenagers, the grandmas and a lot them want to do the same thing and want to follow their culture.”

The Pow Wow also included a rodeo, a golf and softball tournament along with 5k Walk/Run.