IIFR Commissioner and Navajo Nation representative Edison Bitsuie, joins IIFR Senior Advisor, and former Kahkewistahaw First Nation chief Louis Taypotat in showing Olympic spirit with their red Canadian mittens, at the Nicola Tribal Association celebration dinner, Thursday. Photo by Marc Piché
The money will be big, but hearts will be bigger at North America’s Richest Indian Rodeo coming to Merritt May 21-24.
Ten per cent of the gate will go to a different charity each day, announced Victor Tom at a Nicola Tribal Association celebration dinner Thursday night.
“The first day will be for our youth,” said Tom. Ten per cent of the money from Friday will go to help youth programs in local bands.
Saturday, May 22, cowboys and cowgirls will be encouraged to wear pink as the money will go for breast cancer.
On the Sunday, diabetes will be a focus. “This is a disease that really affects our people,” noted Tom.
The final day of the event will be dedicated to the Merritt Hospice Society.
Plans for the rodeo are coming together quicker than expected, said Tom.
“We didn’t even name this thing, it just took off. Suddenly it’s The Richest Indian Rodeo.” A Facebook page about the rodeo is getting a lot of attention.
Along with Mayor Susan Roline and a variety of community stakeholders, the celebration dinner included two special out-of-town visitors. Edison Bitsuie is the commissioner of the IIFR (International Indian Finals Rodeo) and was also representing the Navajo Nation. Also visiting was Louis Taypotat, former long-serving chief of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation near Yorkton, Sask, and IIFR senior advisor.
“People who are talking about this rodeo in Merritt are excited,” said Taypotat. “When you work together, you can make things happen in a big, big way.”The Navajo Nation boasts over 300,000 members, and news will spread, said Bitsuie. “By next week, everybody’s going to know where Merritt, British Columbia is. Everybody is going to know what the Nicola Tribal Association is.”
