A well dressed native - Aboriginal day in Kelowna - June 21, 2010.

Holding a wing of an eagle, a member of the Ki Low Na Friendship Center dances to the beat of her comrade's drums during the Grand Entry at the Pow Wow in a parking lot between Leon and Lawrence Avenue in downtown Kelowna. This is just one of many ladies dancing during the Aboriginal Day festivities in downtown Kelowna. Hundreds of people joined in the event during the early afternoon to partake of a tasty BBQ put on by the Ki Low Na Friendship Society and to take in the early afternoon entertainment of a popular local native, Floyd Vedan.

Floyd Vedan sang popular cover songs such as "Cats in the Cradle" (Cat Stevens), "Angel Eyes" (Jeff Healy), "If you Could Read My Mind" one of my personal favorites (by Gordon Lightfoot), and one of Vedan's own tunes called "I'm Not Alone".

Earlier in the day, a traditional native tent was erected with Ki Low Na volunteers overseen by native elders Jack Potts and Willie Nanemahoo (from Wabasco Alberta) and Gary Wong (of Vancouver). The workers joked about using the modern technology of a ladder for doing the high portions of the tent lacing instead of the traditional method of a long pole held by four helpers.

Other interesting features included a hand made jewelry display attended by Marie Murchie and Mervin North Peigan, as well as two displays of native art and prints by locals.

Later on in the afternoon the Grand Entry took place with such colorful regalia that all visitors with cameras were busily snapping photos.

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