White Earth June Celebration and Powwow postponed over COVID-19 health concerns

The White Earth Nation announced its annual June Celebration and Powwow has been postponed.

The 152nd edition of the festival was originally slated for June 12-14. According to a Facebook post, the White Earth Reservation Business Committee advised festival organizers that postponement was necessary to avoid large gatherings and keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

“(Five hundred) years ago, our Anishinaabe ancestors had no chance to win the smallpox battle. We, here and now, have a very good chance to win the COVID-19 battle," said Dr. Carson Gardner of the White Earth Health Department. "We should not squander that chance—our ancestors’ sacrifices made it possible for us, their descendants, to have that choice now."

The Reservation Business Committee will make a decision in June on whether to set a new date for the powwow or cancel it.