Hundreds of Indigenous dancers take part in the grand entry for the Calgary Stampede Powwow on Monday, July 6, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia

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The sound of drums fills the Scotiabank Saddledome.

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Teams of Indigenous dancers and drummers from across North America file into the stadium, about to slip into their traditional regalia for this year’s Stampede Powwow — and an MC runs through a checklist of items, covering registration and seating and counting down the time before the international event begins.

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The anticipation builds.

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Trevor Pelletier, meanwhile, is sitting in a circle with his friends and family, beaming and joking.

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The gravity of the event hasn’t been lost on the drummer, though.

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“I never thought we would be in a place like this, having a powwow in a stadium like this,” Pelletier said. “This is a big thing. This is our sport.”

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The Black Lodge Singers drum in the Calgary Stampede Powwow on Monday, July 6, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia

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For him, the sport has always been about connecting with his community.

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“We’ve been practising every week; we bring in our family together, have a meal, sit down, we eat, we sing, you know, the humour comes out, teasing each other,” said Pelletier, who represents his drumming group, Blackfoot A1 Club.

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“Just the camaraderie of us being together, I think that’s what makes this more powerful.”

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Hundreds of Indigenous dancers take part in the grand entry for the Calgary Stampede Powwow on Monday, July 6, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia

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Pelletier, who grew up in Calgary, was initiated into drumming after his grandmother’s death, when he saw a cousin commemorate her by drumming. “I heard it, and it was stuck in my mind — I want to learn how to do that.”

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He was 16 at the time. That spark took him around the world, competing in various competitions — the Vancouver Winter Olympics, the Calgary Stampede’s Grandstand Show and cultural exchange events in New Zealand. Now 42, he said the more important change is how drumming has brought out the “best” in him.

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“By listening to the songs, by dancing, feeling good, getting in shape, being healthy, eating healthy, having a better train of thought, you know, teaching my kids respect, kindness, how to love one another,” he said.

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Dashon Scott and Fox Scabbyrobe drum with the Black Lodge Singers in the Calgary Stampede Powwow on Monday, July 6, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia

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To reflect those values on an international stage is a matter of great pride.

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“I think Guy Weadick, in 1912, when he made the Stampede, this is what he would have envisioned — a big contest — he always wanted things on a big scale.”

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Hundreds to compete

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More than 800 dancers and eight drum groups will perform in this year’s Indigenous competition, organized by the 26 families who are holders of tipis dating to the earliest days of the Calgary Stampede.

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The organizing committee received many more applications, which were then whittled down based on a couple of factors, said Astokomii Smith, an administrative assistant to the organizers.

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While some were selected for their experience, others were chosen for how well-known they are in their communities.

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Dancers wait to join the grand entry Calgary Stampede Powwow on Monday, July 6, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia

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“It was definitely a tough decision because there are so many talented people, but we try to choose people who are respectful and knowledgeable, and know how to run a good show,” Smith said.