Sask. man thanks Good Samaritan who found and returned lost powwow regalia

Dancers, singers and spectators spend a lot of time on the road during powwow season.

On a recent trip to Manitoba, Todd Papequash and his family found themselves getting very familiar with the highway that connects Long Plain First Nation to Portage la Prairie as they searched for Papequash's lost regalia.

A Cree/Saulteaux man from Kawacatoose First Nation in Saskatchewan, Papequash is a champion chicken dancer.

Last week he and his common-law spouse Tracey Poorman had just come from one powwow in northern Manitoba to the one at Long Plain First Nation. On Aug. 2, Papequash and Poorman left their campsite in search of some morning coffee, and headed to the local McDonald's in Portage la Prairie.

But before leaving, Poorman went to the back of the pick-up truck to retrieve some belongings and forgot to shut the tailgate.

They were at the drive-thru when a man approached their window and told them he had noticed a black case fall off their truck.

"I knew immediately what it was. Tracey got out and checked and sure enough it was gone," said Papequash.

The case contained Papequash's dancing regalia. The beadwork and accessories held a special place in his heart and to him were irreplaceable.

"I didn't know what to do," he said. "I just kind of just had a little cry."

Papequash has danced since he was seven.

"I said 'That's my life. That is all I know.' I was cursing and cussing. I was just upset."

The pair raced back to the highway where the man had told them he witnessed the case fall. There was no sign of the case anywhere. The pair drove up and down the same stretch of road over and over and eventually returned to the Long Plain powwow grounds empty-handed and disappointed.

The case on the road

Blaine Bateman of Portage La Prairie was returning home after a trip to his cottage when he drove by a black case on the Trans-Canada highway.

At first he drove on past, but the question of what was in the box kept running through his head.

"So I turned around, went back and got it," said Bateman. "I opened it up and I noticed it was somebody's ceremonial gear."

Bateman drove to the Long Plain government building in Portage La Prairie, where he found out about the powwow. So he headed out to the powwow grounds.

The unknown man

As Papequash began packing up their campsite, Poorman went to security to ask them to keep an eye out, and to possibly just keep looking for the black case.

To her surprise the security guard asked if the case she was looking for had a sticker on it. Poorman confirmed there was a Gathering of Nations sticker on the case.

The security guard led her to the announcer stand and there sat Papequash's black case, a little dusty but intact with all the belongings still inside.

"He was so relieved, so was I," said Poorman. "I have never seen someone so happy to see their outfit."

Security said the case had been returned by an unknown man who had said he wanted to personally deliver the case, after opening it up and seeing feathers and beads. They didn't know his name, but someone had snapped a photo of the man delivering the case and posted it on Facebook, asking who the Good Samaritan was.

"I was happy, joyful it was returned," said Papequash. "I have heard of other people losing their powwow stuff and never getting it back. I was happy I did."

The post was shared more than 500 times and had over 100 comments. Bateman's daughter recognized her father in the post and alerted him that the case's owner's were keen to find him.

The couple soon got into contact with Bateman and they had a chance to talk by phone.

"They were very grateful to get it back," Bateman said. "That is what I wanted; I wanted it to be returned to the rightful owner. I didn't think it would become this big thing."

Papequash and Poorman plan on heading to Portage la Prairie in the next few weeks to thank him in person, and Bateman in return has asked Papequash if he could bring his regalia so he can take a photo with him.

"Powwow dancing is a way of life, carrying on traditions and keeping our culture alive," said Papequash.

"I'm so thankful to this man for his honesty."