Const. J.P. Gauthier arrived at the Waterhen First Nation in Saskatchewan five months ago to serve as an RCMP officer.
He attended the powwow in the community, expecting to observe and take in the culture, but ended up as one of the performers, in front of a 500-person crowd, after being asked to honour elders by dancing.
"I was welcomed by the music, by the beat," Gauthier said in an interview with the CBC.
Gauthier is from Montreal and joined the RCMP seven months ago. Before heading to Waterhen First Nation this year, he didn’t know much about Cree culture. He’s quickly learning, though, about the place he now calls home.
”The music is coming from everywhere, there's a lot of people singing,” Gauthier added. “There's a lot of people actually banging on the drums, there's a lot of people cheering.”
"It just makes you float, and then you start to dance and follow the people."
For more on the story, check out the CBC's coverage here.
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