Honoring and celebrating native tradition and culture through dance, prayer and drums is what the annual Tutxinmepu Powwow is all about.
The Native American Student Center (NASC) and the Native American Student Association (NASA) will host the 18th annual Tutxinmepu Powwow Saturday and Sunday. The event will begin at 2 p.m. both days in the Kibbie Dome and is free and open to everyone. Grand entry on Saturday begins at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sunday, grand entry starts at 1 p.m.
Grand entry is the opening ceremony for each session where flags are presented, along with the Head Man and Head Woman. Behind them, royalty representing other powwows across the nation follow, and all of the other dancers come in with their respective categories, Head Woman of the powwow Mary Harris said.
“It’s how we formally open the dance floor,” said Program Coordinator for NASC Lindsey Schneider.
The powwow includes many types of dance. Some of the dances include, Women’s Traditional, Men’s Traditional, Women’s Fancy Shawl and Men’s Grass, Harris said.
Schneider said the different styles of dance observed at powwows depends on the the location of the event and who will be there.
“Some dance styles in California you’re not going to see here,” Schneider said.
The Tutxinmepu Powwow offers competitive dance, where individuals are able to display their dance abilities on the floor, Harris said.
“When you’re out on the dance floor, you really want to show off all of your moves and be as best as you can, and then hopefully if you have enough talent, then maybe at the end of the time you get chosen to win that competition,” Harris said.
Schneider said powwows are either social or competitive and the Tutxinmepu Powwow is considered both because of the social aspect, however, there are prizes for each dance category, she said.
Schneider said the powwow is the largest cultural event that at the University of Idaho, with more than 500 individuals in attendance each year.
Vendors play a large role in the powwow. Schneider said there will be vendors at the event, giving attendees the opportunity to purchase Native American artwork, jewelry or blankets.
Alongside the vendors, Schneider said a food vendor, run by NASA, will supply Indian tacos, fry bread and more.
However, it isn’t just the food and dancing that make up the powwow. Drumming plays an important role as well, Schneider said. Drummers and dancers come together to practice their traditions from the Northwest and Canada to as far as Minnesota.
The Host Drum for the powwow is Black Otter, who are a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy tribe, Schneider said. The Host Drum is similar to the Head Woman and Head Man dancers, she said.
“When you hear that drum, it just runs through your body and gives you really good feelings,” Harris said.
Schneider said the tradition of the powwow came from a long native history during a time when Native American spiritual practice was outlawed in the United States. She said when tribes were forced onto reservations, they were put together with other tribes that might have different languages and traditions. The powwow then became a way to come together and share songs and stories.
“The modern form of the powwow has kind of evolved out of that,” Schneider said. “That it’s like a gathering of folks from different tribes to just kind of get together and share that culture that, for so long in the United States was not allowed to be legally practiced.”
Savannah Cardon can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @savannahlcardon