Pow Wow a vibrant event

BONNERS FERRY— Splashes of color, feathers, and drumming captivated viewers who attended the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho’s Pow Wow at the Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 15.

According to Justus Cree of Bonners Ferry, pow wows back then were held for feasts, gatherings, and hunts at different times of the year.

Leroy Seth in full regalia led all attendees in a prayer of thanks and appreciation for everybody present; dancers, drummers, audience members.

The grand entry had grass dancers enter the dance arena carrying the American, Canadian, and Kootenai Tribal flags, along with the sacred eagle staff that represents the Native American tribes and cultures. Several songs and dances followed, including a flag staff song, a tribute to veterans, and a victory song.

Bonners Ferry mayor Dave Anderson welcomed tribe members and dancers from across the country.

Taunie Cullooyah from the Kalispel Tribe and Paris Channing Leighton Sr. Nez Perce tribe were selected as head woman and head man dancer for the

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pow wow and danced a couple’s dance, an owl dance.

“We were just highliting them, letting them come out and dance by themselves and showcase their style and specifically why they were picked to be head man and woman dancer,” said Cree, arena director, “They’re selected on how you carry yourself and the way you carry yourself inside the pow wow, our dance arena and outside of it as well.”

Being arena director is a large undertaking. Back then, arena directors were called whipmen. “He’s the first one there, took care of the floor, made sure there are no kids playing around, people are being quiet when they’re supposed to or supposed to rise,” said Cree, “I was given a ceremonial whip two years ago.”

Announcer Rueben Littlehead of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe from Happy Flats, Mont., kept the audience giggling with his wisecracks. Littlehead handed out $10 bills to anyone who could prove they’d attended the last pow wow held in Bonners Ferry in 1999. “I just want to thank the Kootenai Tribe for their hospitality and their invite to come on up,” said Littlehead.

Rueben has worked a lot of pow wows with Cree. “We’re a team, a good team,” said Cree.

Dancing competitions were held throughout the day.

In the men’s category, the grass, northern traditional, prairie chicken, fancy, buckskin war bonnet, and the prairie chicken round bustle dances were all showcased. In the buckskin war bonnet dance, some dancers wore war bonnets that had been worn in the signing of treaties from 1855. Some very old buckskin war shirts from different tribes were worn as well.

In the women’s category, dances included jingle, fancy shawl, northern traditional buckskin, and short fringe.

Dave Browneagle from the Spokane Tribe presided as head judge.

There is a lot that goes into judging the dances, as dancers are judged on a number of things. It can be hard to make a decision after only two dances.

“A lot of it is the dance style: Starting, stopping, rhythm, their outfit, how well you take care of your outfit, your feathers, the care of your feathers,” said Cree, “Then there’s other parts of it, that’s what the head judge is for. Sometimes you will go and purposefully find a judge that will judge on character instead. Judge on how they carry themselves outside of the dance arena; if they’re role models for the younger ones that are watching.”

The Kootenai Tribe awarded dancers who placed.

More than 260 dancers were registered, however other non-contestant dancers participated as well. There was big participation within the Kootenai Tribe. Families, children, parents, grandchildren represented from each family district in the Kootenai Tribe.

Drummers present were Cree Confederation from Frog Lake, Alberta; Wild Rose from Yakama, Wash.; Bullhorn from Standoff, Alberta; Red Tail from Lapwai, ID; Lower Crossing from Pablo, Mont.; and Assiniboine/Cree from Fort Belknap, Mont. They competed against each other in a drumming competition on Friday with Cree Confederation announced as the winner.

Dancer Wilma Buck from White Swan, Wash. enjoyed the cooler weather on Saturday, compared to other pow wows where temperatures reach 100 degrees. “I’ve never been here before, but I really like it,” said Buck, “It’s very pretty here.”

“There’s a lot of positive feedback coming back from everybody about it,” said Cree, “Public turnout was good. Everybody loved the food, everything from the food to watching the tiny tots.”

Cree agreed that the pow wow had definitely made a connection between the tribe and the community. “That was major, that was really major,” said Cree, “That’s what one of the goals is of pow wow; to reach out and share.”