Powwow the Night (and Day!) Away

by Debra Utacia Krol Salinan/Esselen

Once a tradition reserved to the Plains tribes, powwows have grown into a pan-Indian celebration. Resplendent in richly crafted regalia, powwow-ers old and young stomp, twirl and leap to the thrumming beat of the drum. Although Plains dances like the fancy, grass and shawl dance predominate, some regional powwows also feature local social dance and song. And some of the best powwows aren't necessarily the biggest.

Here's our guide to 16 of the best powwows on the continent. "Traditional" refers to a powwow that does not award prize money; "competitive" describes those offering cash prizes.

Circle of Nations Powwow
July 9­11, Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, NY; 718/292-1519
This intriguing little powwow is held in a most unlikely location: Queens, New York. Here, a small but thriving Native community has come together annually for the past eight years to dance, sing and commune. The powwow features 25 to 30 dancers and a parade on Madison Avenue. "Hundreds of people come out," says organizer Crazy Fox, a Cherokee. Traditional.

Julyamsh
July 23­25, Post Falls, ID; 800/523-2464, ext. 7281, or www.cdacasino.com
See "Happening"

Listuguj
July 31­Aug. 1, Moffat's Landing, Listuguj, Quebec, Canada; 418/788-3278 or www.listuguj.com
This once-intimate affair has grown over 12 years into a huge celebration of Mig'maq traditions. Drum groups, dancers and families travel to this small, isolated and beautiful reserve in Quebec for two days of dancing, sweat ceremonies, mosquito swatting, healing and feasting on moose, salmon, crab and lobster. "We've created something bigger than ourselves," says organizer Lita Isaac. Traditional.

Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial
Aug. 4­8, Gallup, NM; 888/685-2564 or www.gallupnm.org/ceremonial
In addition to ceremonial dances, rodeos, parades and a world-class art show, Gallup also hosts a contest powwow. Tribes from across the Southwest converge on Red Rock State Park for a panoply of regalia and skill. And bring your appetite-the Southwest's best frybread, horno bread and green chile chefs are here. Competitive.

Omak Stampede Indian Encampment
Aug. 13­15, Omak, WA; 509/634-4541 or www.omakstampede.org
In addition to one of the planet's most heart-stopping horse races, the Omak Suicide Race, the Omak community also holds a great powwow. With three days of camping, dance, song and intertribal camaraderie, the powwow is one of the West's best. Competitive.

87th Crow Fair
Aug. 18­23, Crow Agency (60 miles south of Billings off I-90), MT; 406/638-4000
Rightfully billed as the "teepee capital of the world," the Crow Fair features thrilling powwow action as well as a rodeo, Indian market, parades and fabulous food. The parade alone is worth the trip; all the powwow and rodeo competitors, along with community members, form a line more than a mile long along the route. Competitive.

Wacipi
Aug. 20-22, Prior Lake, MN; 952/445-8900 or www.shakopeedakota.org
This is a major annual powwow sponsored by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, with some $130,000 provided in prize monies, as well as large fireworks display on Saturday night and a Sunday basketball tournament. Competitive.

Schemitzun Powwow and Green Corn Festival
Aug. 26­29, Mashantucket, CT; 800/224-CORN or www.schemitzun.com
Schemitzun is the home of the East Coast's largest powwow, with more than 2,500 contestants from across the continent going for the green of hard cash prizes. Hand drum, song, "49" songs and both northern and southern drum contests keep powwow-ers coming back for more. But there's more to this four-day event, now marking its 13th anniversary: Schemitzun also showcases the rich Native cultures and peoples of New England with its Green Corn Festival. Competitive.

Sycuan Powwow
Sept. 10-12, San Diego, CA; 619/445-7776 or www.sycuan.com
One of the West Coast's largest powwows, Sycuan spotlights the hottest powwow dancers and drums while retaining its Southern California tribal sensibility. Friday night features bird singing by local communities, and peon games are held on Friday and Saturday night-often lasting all night. Competitive.

All-Children's Powwow
Oct. 9, Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, NM; 505/982-4636, 800/607-4636 or www.wheelwright.org
The nation's only major all-kids powwow, now entering its 14th year, the All-Children's Powwow is a one-day celebration of Native culture in the heart of New Mexico's Pueblo Country. Students from the nearby Institute of American Indian Arts judge dancers in three categories. Arts and crafts vendors display their wares, and the local wildlife center brings birds, including a golden eagle. Competitive.

Native American Indian Association Intertribal Powwow and Fall Festival
Oct. 17­19, Four Corners Marina/Park Recreation Area, Nashville, TN; 615/232-9179
One of the largest powwows in the Southeast and now approaching its 22nd anniversary, the NAIA Powwow draws more than 15,000 people from the state of Tennessee and the South to Nashville for a three-day celebration of Native cultures, including dance, song, arts and crafts, and food. And this year's host northern drum is no less than the Grammy-winning Black Lodge Singers. Competitive.

Denver March Powwow
March 2005, Denver Coliseum, Denver, CO; 303/934-8045 or www.denvermarchpowwow.org
The Denver powwow is possibly the largest in the Rocky Mountains. More than 1,500 dancers, 60 to 70 drum groups and 150 vendors flock from across the nation to Denver to gather before an estimated crowd of 55,000 to dance, sing and share their rich traditions. Competitive.

Gathering of Nations
April 2005, Albuquerque, NM; 505/836-2810 or www.gatheringofnations.com
GON is commonly recognized as the nation's premier powwow. Practically the entire city of Albuquerque rocks with the beat of powwow drums, and the crowd is frequently standing room only, so get your seat early for great powwow action. And don't miss the Miss Indian World pageant. Competitive.

Stanford University Powwow
May 7­8, 2005, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA; 650/723-4078 or http://powwow.stanford.edu
Powwow with the Cardinals in this Bay Area event! Student-organized and -run, this powwow began as a way for students far from home to share their culture with the university and surrounding community, and has since become a Stanford tradition on Mother's Day Weekend. Traditional.

Bkejwanong Community Cultural Celebration
May 28­29, 2005, Walpole Island, southern Ontario, Canada; 519/332-6164
Hosted by the Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa, this special gathering-nearing its 13th annual incarnation-features exhibition dancing and singing, art vendors and honoring ceremonies in one of the continent's most scenic settings. Traditional.

Red Earth
June 2005, Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma City, OK; 405/427-5228 or www.redearth.org
Hailed as one of the top 100 things to do in the United States, Red Earth features a powwow with nearly $80,000 in prizes, a cultural festival with some of the continent's best Native art competing for prizes, and some of the friendliest people around. Competitive.

Debra Utacia Krol is Native Peoples' book department editor and a contributor to this and other publications, such as American Indian Report, America West and Arizona Highways magazines.