Go Native American

Go Native American

Event Related Resources

Across the country, cultural, business, and tribal events, overwhelmingly dominated by a series of Powwows preserve culture in a competitive environment, variously aim at providing continued development of traditional knowledge, display of the products of Indian businesses and craftsmen and simple celebration.

Most of the events tend to be local in nature. Please contact us if you know of an event related website we should publicize.

Go Native American Powwow Coverage

Pow Wow Regalia Display in Las Vegas

Native American regalia artist, Laurieta Carter, a member of the Las Vegas Paiute tribe displays Native American children's ceremonial Pow Wow regalia at the Charleston Antique Mall in Las Vegas.

National Powwow 2007

Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian was held at the Verizon Center in Washington DC August 10-12. The dancers, who looked truly fabulous, represented hundreds of tribal nations from across the continent. $125,000 in prizes were awarded to top judged singers, dancers and drummers. Native warriors were honored and Ira Hayes (Pima). Through a happy conincidence, we managed to get a short photo shoot completed, attending the boys division competitions for grass dance and fancy dance

Host drums were High Noon (Cree), Battle River (Anishinabe), and Southern Thunder (Pawnee). The head singing judge was Wayne Silas Jr. (Menomonee and Wisconsin Oneida) was chosen head singing judge. This is his first time as head singing judge after several appearances as head dancing judge. Rusty Gillette was Northern dancing head judge. gileete is a member of the Dead Grass Society and has wonthe Midnight Grass Dance Special at the Gathering of Nations (NM).

Powwows and other Event Websites

Ain Dah Yung Cherish the Children Pow Wow

Annual Pow Wow held in St Paul to support the Ain Dah Yung Shelter. Held in February.

Black Hills Pow Wow

Annual Pow Wow held in October in Rapid City, SD. Also known as He Sapa Wacipip Na Oskate, it includes a championship powwow dance and drum competition, a fine arts show and games.

Canadian Aboriginal Festival

Extensive, national late fall event includes a pow wow, music awards, market, economic conference, fashion show, lacrosse tournament, education, workshops and more. 2007 event will be held November 30 through December 2 in Toronto.

Council Tree Pow Wow & Cultural Festival

Annual Pow Wow held in Delta, Colorado in September., celebrates Ute traditions and culture.

Daniel Nimham Intertribal Powwow

Annual event held in August at Kent Lakes, New York. Hosted by two local drum groups, the Powwow features an “everyone welcome” dance and an exhibition of birds of prey.

Las Vegas Intertribal Veterans Powwow

Annual event held in November in Las Vegas, NV. Originally organized by Native American veterans who had moved to Las Vegas for various reasons. The Pow Wow has he;ped them regain a sense of community. Site feature photos from past years.

Lower Brule Sioux Annual Powwow

Annual event held in the second week of August on the Lower Brule Sioux reservation in South Dakota. Four dancing awards are presented. A rodeo is also held in conjunction with the powwow

Nesika Illahee Pow Wow

Annual Pow Wow hosted by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, OR in August. Features drum and dance competition, on-site camping, parade.

North American Indian Information and Trade Center

Despite its confusing name, this site is primarily a listing of upcoming events in and around Tucson, Arizona including the New Year's Pow Wow, the November Social Pow Wow, Thunder in the Desert, the Indian Feast & Fundraiser, and the American Indian Exposition.

Red Earth Festival

The mnost recent Red Earth Festival was held June 1-3, 2007 at Oklahoma City. Members of more than 100 tribes gathered to celebrate and share in the richness and diversity of their heritage with the world. It was the 21st annual cycle for the event, which benefits the Red Earth Museum.

Schemitzun 2007

The Feast of Green Corn and Dance, a pow wow of the Pequot is held in August in Connecticut. The site offers directions, information on festival activities, and details of the contests and rodea.

Rendezvous Days

Powwow hosted by the Grand Portage Resort and Casino, Grand Portage, MN and the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chipewa, features dances, softball tournament and special events hosted inside the casino (must be 21 for these events).

South Dakota Powwow Schedule

Maintained by the South Dakota Office on Tribal Government Relations, the schedule shares details for 27 events as early as February and as late as November.

Thunderbird Intertribal Powwow

Powwow held in Niceville, Florida and hosted by an educational 501c3 organization associated with the neighboring Eglin Air Force Base. Held annually in November.

Thunder Mountain Annual Native American Festival & Pow Wow

Native American Pow Wow with dance contests and attached festival. Held annually near Saltsburg, PA, hosted by the Thunder Mountain Lenapé

Powwow Competitive Dances

Fancy Dance

The men's fancy dance originated int the 1950s to attract and please powwow visitors. It is a flashy and colorful dance, and is also energetic, requiring stamina, coordination and skill. It is usually a young men's dance. The fancy dance outfit has a twin bustle, decorated with free–flowing fringe, usually quite colorful. The colors represent the rainbow spirit. The fancy dancer wears a headdress roach with 2 feathers which are supposed to be kept in constant movement throughout the dance. Also known as the bustle dance, its origins are debated, with some saying it has Lakota origins, others that it is from Oklahoma.

The photos accompanying this section were taken during a boys fancy dance competitive round at the National Powwow, sponsored by the Smithsonian Instutition National Museum of the American Indian and was held at the Verizon Center in Washington DC on August 11, 2007. The division is for competitors aged 6-12.

Grass Dance

Believed to have originated with the Omaha, in the south there is a belief the grass dance is related to warrior society, while in the north, it was part of a land blessing ritual. The dance is said to represent balance. The dancer's regalia may be covered with lots of yarn, that sway, grasslike, as he dances. Some say the name comes from stomping down the grass at the spot chosen for sacred dancing, others that the name name “grass” comes instead from the old habit of tying braids of sweetgrass to the dancer's belts, producing a swaying effect. Today, Grass Dancers resemble a multicolored swaying mass of yarn or fringe on the dance floor. The Grass Dance is a very fluid and bendable style, with the dancers trying to move their fringe in as many places as possible at once.

The photos accompanying this section were taken during a boys grass dance competitive round at the National Powwow in Washington DC on August 11, 2007. The division is for competitors aged 6-12. There were some young boys but most appeared to be near the upper age limit.

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This site would not be possible were it not for the gracious provision of the template and its publication.

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