CSKT Tribal Council agreed last week to accept the Arlee Powwow committee recommendation to cancel the powwow celebration this year due to COVID-19 concerns.

“We consider the health and safety of our community a priority along with our visiting and neighboring communities,” the committee said in a statement on their Facebook page.

“They said that virus isn’t going away, and they didn’t want our elder people to get sick and die,” said Ron Matt, Powwow Committee chair. “That’s including Washington, Idaho, Canada, we respect all of these people, and most of them are related to us. Even the little ones are getting it now.”

“We couldn’t have our relatives in Canada anyway, because they couldn’t cross the border right now.”

Matt says the cancelation of the 122nd annual event is heartbreaking as for so many, the celebration is a chance to gather with friends and relatives. “But maybe we’ll have an even bigger and better one next year. Then everybody will be able to be there.”