Williams Lake First Nation is hosting a Father's Day Traditional Pow Wow this weekend at the Chief William Pow Wow Arbor at Sugarcane.
Festivities got underway Friday and continue until Sunday.
Saturday's afternoon pow wow was well attended with hundreds of spectators filling the seating inside the arbor.
Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Conservative MP Lorne Doerkson and Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor joined in the grand entry alongside WLFN councillor Shae Chelsea.
Chief Willie Sellars was one of the dancers participating and welcomed everyone to the pow wow.
"Happy Father's Day weekend. Happy grad weekend. We are excited and honoured that you would take time out of your day to come out and help us hold up our community, our territory our region," Sellars said.
Sellars said his community prides themselves on their reconciliation journey, revitalization journey of the language, cultural and ceremony.
"We welcome you with open arms this weekend," he added.
WLFN youth William Lulua, speaking in Secwepemctsín, gave an opening prayer.
"Thank you Creator for the food, the water, medicine, the ones that fly, the ones that swim, the ones on all four," he said. "Thank you for all this amazing land Creator, this amazing land. I pray for the hearts that are around me and for the hearts that weren't able to be here today. All my relations," he said.
There will be another grand entry Saturday evening beginning at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Entrance is free, there are lots of vendors on site.
