'It helps me': Alberta teen opens up ahead of international powwow in Red Deer

Dashayne Morin can hardly contain his excitement and pride when talking about powwow. He's been dancing since he learned to walk, but this weekend is something extra special.

"All this…this is amazing right here," the 16-year-old said with a huge smile Friday.

Morin was referring to the start of the second annual Powwow Times International Gathering in Red Deer, where he will compete against fellow traditional Indigenous dancers from across North America.

The Sylvan Lake dancer is there to win, but just being in a powwow environment surrounded by history, culture and emotion means a lot to him.

"It helps me spiritually, every morning, to wake up and say, 'I love myself,'" he explained.

"It's taken me out of a lot of bad stuff. I could be out there smoking, drinking with teenagers, but at the same time, it's like, this helps other people in different ways."

Morin is just one of the hundreds of competitors and thousands of spectators who will gather at the event this weekend.

The competitors are grouped into age brackets from youth (7-12) to golden age (55+), and there are different categories, or styles, of dancing, including fancy, jingle and chicken. Dancers can win up to $1,000 and singers compete for a $10,000 top prize.

“Our dream with our company Powwow Times is to create a world championship level powwow,” said organizer Patrick Mitsuing.

It's going well so far, with dancers coming from as far as Arizona and California.

On Friday, more than 2,000 students from central Alberta schools were brought to the powwow to learn by taking part in a round dance, watching the dancing and listening to the drums.

“A lot of people don't know that they're welcome to come. They think this might just be an Indigenous event, but truly anyone can come," Mitsuing said.

"It's a welcoming thing. Everyone is welcome. We welcome you here and we hope you enjoy your day," Morin said.

The event runs until Sunday night inside the Peavey Mart Centrium. More information is available online.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach