The Spokane Falls Northwest Encampment and Powwow 2012
After not being held last year due to lack of funding, the Spokane Falls Northwest Encampment and Powwow was held in Riverfront Park on Friday (Aug. 24rd) and Saturday (Aug.25th) this year. I enjoy attending the Powwow to see the dancing competitions, regalia the dancers wear, and hear the drumming during the dancing. It just makes it feel like the end of summer and I really like how the Powwow is open to the public so they can see Native American culture a little.
Russell decided he wanted to go to the Powwow because he hed never been so we both went on Saturday. We arrived around 12 p.m. and stayed until 5 p.m. The entire afternoon was taken up by the youngsters and teenage dancers who were in competition in different dance catagories. At Powwows, they celebrate the end of summer, meeting up with friends again, and have prize competitions for dancing, regalia, and drumming. That is why when you see the dancers in the photos I am posting here (and Flickr/Facebook), you will see them wearing numbers on their regalia.
It was a hot day so a lot of the dancers were really sweating and looking like the heat was affecting them a little. Lots of calls for water to be given to dancers who where in competition when they were inbetween songs. Russell actually got a bit sunburnt as we sat and watched. I remembered to put on sunblock and was glad for it.
I took way too many photos while at the Powwow (567 in fact) so spent two nights editing them. I only edited the ones I really liked and I will share a few here.
Above: Elder Dancer with feathers. He was dancing during the "Open dance" section that they held between competitions.
Above: Female Fancy Dancer from behind.
Above: A young Prairie Chicken Dancer with his amazing headdress. I love that he is wearing glasses under that headdress.
Above: Two young Traditional Dancers waiting for their competition to start. I loved how they looked from behind with their headdresses and beaded/fringed/feathered clothing.
Above: Male Fancy Dancer. This dancer ended up on the front page of the local paper on Saturday when the paper did a story on the Powwow to stir up public interest so people would show up to watch on Saturday.
I took a lot more photos which you can see by clicking HERE or by looking at my Facebook photos (you have to have me as a friend to see them). I have to say, the Facebook photos have better colour than the Flickr hosted ones. Not sure why but just an observation I made today.
I have to say, if you are in the USA and near where a Powwow is going on? You simply have to attend even for a few hours because it is an amazing experience. It is a great way to get a peek at Native American culture and see beauty in the form of dancing. They also sell wares (including jewelry and yummy Indian Tacos) at the Powwow so you can shop a little if you want.
To think, decades ago the US government tried to kill the Native American culture and force them to be assimulated to the way the Caucasians live. The Powows were illegal until around the 1960s but are now yearly events and many tribes hold them or get together with other tribes to hold a Powwow.
I hope that the Spokane tribe will be able to afford to put the Powwow on next yea. Since it is right in Riverfront Park downtown, it is accessibale to the public and it is really for many "urban Indians" who rarely get back to tribal land to visit and see family. Spokane had a large population of Native Americans so it is the perfect spot for this sort of event.
Russell decided he wanted to go to the Powwow because he hed never been so we both went on Saturday. We arrived around 12 p.m. and stayed until 5 p.m. The entire afternoon was taken up by the youngsters and teenage dancers who were in competition in different dance catagories. At Powwows, they celebrate the end of summer, meeting up with friends again, and have prize competitions for dancing, regalia, and drumming. That is why when you see the dancers in the photos I am posting here (and Flickr/Facebook), you will see them wearing numbers on their regalia.
It was a hot day so a lot of the dancers were really sweating and looking like the heat was affecting them a little. Lots of calls for water to be given to dancers who where in competition when they were inbetween songs. Russell actually got a bit sunburnt as we sat and watched. I remembered to put on sunblock and was glad for it.
I took way too many photos while at the Powwow (567 in fact) so spent two nights editing them. I only edited the ones I really liked and I will share a few here.
Above: Elder Dancer with feathers. He was dancing during the "Open dance" section that they held between competitions.
Above: Female Fancy Dancer from behind.
Above: A young Prairie Chicken Dancer with his amazing headdress. I love that he is wearing glasses under that headdress.
Above: Two young Traditional Dancers waiting for their competition to start. I loved how they looked from behind with their headdresses and beaded/fringed/feathered clothing.
Above: Male Fancy Dancer. This dancer ended up on the front page of the local paper on Saturday when the paper did a story on the Powwow to stir up public interest so people would show up to watch on Saturday.
I took a lot more photos which you can see by clicking HERE or by looking at my Facebook photos (you have to have me as a friend to see them). I have to say, the Facebook photos have better colour than the Flickr hosted ones. Not sure why but just an observation I made today.
I have to say, if you are in the USA and near where a Powwow is going on? You simply have to attend even for a few hours because it is an amazing experience. It is a great way to get a peek at Native American culture and see beauty in the form of dancing. They also sell wares (including jewelry and yummy Indian Tacos) at the Powwow so you can shop a little if you want.
To think, decades ago the US government tried to kill the Native American culture and force them to be assimulated to the way the Caucasians live. The Powows were illegal until around the 1960s but are now yearly events and many tribes hold them or get together with other tribes to hold a Powwow.
I hope that the Spokane tribe will be able to afford to put the Powwow on next yea. Since it is right in Riverfront Park downtown, it is accessibale to the public and it is really for many "urban Indians" who rarely get back to tribal land to visit and see family. Spokane had a large population of Native Americans so it is the perfect spot for this sort of event.