Close to 200 young cowboys and cowgirls saddled up for the 10th annual Kainai Youth Rodeo, hosted by the Kainaiwa Children’s Services Corporation.
Kainaiwa Children’s Services is also known as Stawatsimaani, which means ‘raising children’ in Blackfoot. For some families who participated in the youth rodeo, the event is about raising children to have a sense of community and responsibility.
Kalib Thunder Chief is a father who didn’t hesitate to get his children involved in the rodeo, as he believes it will help them build lasting relationships and important life skills.
“It gives them a sense of responsibility and how to grow,” said Thunder Chief. “They’re not just worried about themselves, they’re worried about an animal, and that animal could end up being their best friend, depending on how they take care of it.”
The Kainai youth rodeo celebrates a cultural blend of Indigenous and rodeo. According to Blood Tribe Chief and Council member and Stawatsimaani board member Marcel Weasel Head, it also teaches the children about their heritage.
“We have kids as young as five, and young adults. We have a lot of contestants from the reserve and also from the surrounding communities,” said Weasel Head.
“This has always been a part of our lifestyle; rodeo and working with horses and livestock. It carries on from generation to generation.”
The youth rodeo sets the tone for the upcoming Kainai Powwow and Celebration on Saturday, which welcomes the public to attend.