Alayiah Wolf Child will be representing Siksika Nation as the Calgary Stampede's 2023 First Nations Princess! She will be joined by Sarah Lambros from Springbank, who is the 2023 Stampede Princess.

Wolf Child and Lambros are excited to work together to celebrate both First Nations and Western culture at the upcoming 2023 Calgary Stampede

"It wasn't just one group of people putting on a show, it was bridging traditions from both cultures, and I think that's really important to keep that alive today and working on that relationship between people who have different backgrounds. Alayiah and I are different in many ways, but we're also very similar, so learning about each other and showing that to the world is a big part of our job," Lambros said.

"Continuing to bridge a culture between Indigenous (and Western) and expanding the knowledge of what the Elbow River camp stands for. With the Siksika, Stoney and the Blackfoot people, just really expanding our different backgrounds to all the guests throughout the world," Wolf Child continued.

Wolf Child added she's looking forward to this opportunity to be able to share her culture with such a wide audience.

"I want to continue passing down the knowledge and the skills that I've learned throughout my life. Whether that be sewing, beading, and even if I don't have a crown on I want to pass down what I learned down to the next generation and I just want to share my culture as best as I can and represent Treaty 7 and Elbow River Camp with pride and dignity," she said. 

Like Wolf Child, Lambros is also excited for the opportunity to celebrate Stampede culture with everyone she meets, and she hopes to meet as many people as possible. 

"My main goal is to find something that I have in common with everybody, no matter who they are and find something that they would love about the Stampede and about the city of Calgary. Everybody has different interests, everybody comes from different backgrounds, but I believe that there is something at the Calgary Stampede for everybody," said Lambros.

Being the Stampede Princesses is a lot more than just showing up to the Stampede and talking to people. Lambros explained she and Wolf Child will both be attending hundreds of events throughout the year, some of which may not even be Stampede related! Both princesses also need to work hard in other skills as well, like horse riding for Lambros and jingle dancing for Wolf Child, among many others. While it's a lot of work, they're both excited to have the opportunity to celebrate both Western and First Nations culture with the community.

"I look forward to learning from all different people and also looking forward to learning from Alayiah as well because we do come from different backgrounds and I think a big part of our role is to learn about each other, be respectful of one another, and share that friendship and relationship with all sorts of people," Lambros said.

Lambros and Wolf Child both hope to see you at the Calgary Stampede! You'll find Wolf Child at the Elbow River Camp, and while Lambros will be all over the grounds, there's a good chance she will also be at the Elbow River Camp, as she said she loves seeing the earrings and other great vendors there.

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