Tag Archives: dancers

2016 Eastern Shoshone Arapaho Powwow

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Back in June of last year (2016) I had the great pleasure to attend the Eastern Shoshone /Arapaho powwow on the Wind River reservation. This was a great event with wonderful people in a marvelous setting. It is held outdoors which always makes it better and the weather was cooperating with blue skies and no wind. Above is the Grand Entry with the color guard.

Everyone in their finest followed.

Dancers enthralled the spectators.

Their was color and action every where you looked.

Individual dancers took part.

Incredible detail and workmanship went into gorgeous displays of accessories and regalia.

As the sun was setting the participants gathered around the center pole in celebration

Elders sat reflecting in the late afternoon sun.

Later dancing took place as the participants made their way around the circle

It was a special time for everyone involved.

The dancers traveled sunwise around the circle.

Women in extraordinary dress made the circle several times.

Performing the steps as they’re meant to be done.

Fancy dancers giving it their all in front of one of the judges.

Color and form as well as commitment are most important during the fancy dance competition.

As always the best drummers and singers were performing for the dancers.

A beautiful example of form and skill.

Women in their finest competing in one of the categories. Each one a winner.

Men had their competitions and everyone put everything they had into them.

Incredible regalia was always on display.

Dancing went on far into the night.

Until finally the evening’s events came to a close.

This is a powwow you do not want to miss. There will be more to come from this powwow in the near future, so stop back and check it out.

Full Moon Over The Crow Camp

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It was nearly midnight as I walked through the camp. It had been a long day. It was Crow Fair 2016 and as always it was spectacular. Starting early in the morning to photograph the staging of the parade, following and shooting the dance competitions, watching the evening performances, it was a day packed full of excitement. This was the last day and I was heading home in the morning.

It had been cloudy and although the sky was covered by those clouds, occasionally the full moon would show itself but never long enough to get a good shot of it. But as luck sometimes favors the photographer the clouds seemed to dissolve and there it was in all its glory, full and round and positioned exactly where it needed to be to make this image. I was given a present in the form of this last memory. Walking through the cool night, feeling the moonlight wash over me, hearing the sound of laughter, singing, people calling out to each other, this was the perfect ending to a summer-long trip along the Powwow trail.

I began the summer in late April with the opportunity to photograph the largest powwow in North America, the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Thousands of dancers, singers, drummers, participants, spectators, all brought together to celebrate their culture. This was spectacle at its grandest. At one point there were over 2800 dancers coming and going from the arena floor. This is like the Superbowl of powwows.

As the summer progressed I had the opportunity to attend powwows and meet people from nearly every tribe in the western part of the United States. There were Shoshone, Arapaho, Bannock, Cree, Chippewa, Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Sioux, Comanche, Apache, Navajo, Hopi, and many other tribes. There were people from the Cree And Chippewa tribes that came down from Canada to participate in the Chippewa/Cree powwow at Rocky Boy Montana. This event was held in the rolling hills of Northern Montana on a hillside where you could see for two days in any direction. No buildings in sight, nothing but the golden prairie stretching on for miles and miles. The sound of drums and singing and the people dancing carried on the wind for days. The reservation in nestled up against the Canadian border just east of Glacier National Park and it was one of the most natural, authentic places I had the good fortune to visit.

People from the various tribes in Washington and Oregon were at different events along the way. It was a chance to see their different regalia and styles of dancing. All were welcome and made to feel like part of the family. That’s what these gatherings felt like. Large family gatherings where you got to see cousins that you hadn’t seen in years. A place where acquaintances were made and spiritual ceremonies brought everyone close together. The sense of community was strong. It felt good to be there.

Over the course of the summer I took over 20,000 images, many were of the various rodeos that were part of the powwow, but never the less, I took a lot of photographs. Now that I am back at my studio I will begin the daunting task of processing these images and posting them on the site. Hopefully the wait hasn’t been too long for those wanting to see the shots of their powwows. Each event will have its images posted as I get to them. My apologies for the delay.

This has been an incredible summer and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to observe, photograph, join in. I got to march in the Color Guard at the Western Shoshone/ Bannock Grand Entry where they celebrated the Vets that had served in all the wars. That was the first time in over 50 years that I have had the opportunity to participate in something like that and I will cherish the experience forever. But just as importantly it was the ability to be able to be a very small part in the total experience. Thank you one and all for making that experience possible for me.

As time goes on I will get the photographs you want to see posted. If you don’t see your event, don’t worry it’ll be there. Also please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Thanks for a great summer.

Powwows And The People Who Attend Them

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Tome Roubideaux Sioux 2016

The folks who attend powwows are a unique assortment of people. Not unique like the parking lot of a Wal-Mart but unique like a group of like-minded souls that are interested in the varied life around them in a way that many others aren’t.

On one hand you have the participants who attend these gatherings as a way to maintain the deepest contact with their culture and to celebrate their beliefs with others in a way that brings them closer together as a people. This grounds them and roots them in a connection to their culture that is difficult to get any other way. They are reaffirmed in their beliefs by the fellowship of those that have shared their life experiences, both good and bad, together. They are a family, a collective village, a group of people that can trace their beginnings back to the far distant past and celebrate them as if time didn’t matter.

Many of the participants, most in fact, who dance and take part in the various ceremonies dress in the regalia that represents their tribal affiliations and they are as distinctive and varied as the tribes and individuals within them. But for some a favorite blanket thrown across their shoulders, or a t-shirt with the faded logos of powwows of the past are enough, and they enter the circle and dance with the same fervor and beliefs as the most spectacularly dressed member there. The dress doesn’t matter, they are one.

Then there are the spectators, those who attend for many different reasons. Some are dedicated followers of the Powwow Trail and attend every one they can. They might be family members or close friends who come to support the dancers, singers and drummers. Or others who are trying to see and understand this wonderful culture in a way you can’t by reading about it. Some just come for the pageantry and to see something different. They enjoy the spectacle aspect of the gathering without delving too deeply into the culture, curious to see a lifestyle that is so different from their own, yet one that is embedded into the fabric and mainstream of our national culture. Once the powwow is over and everyone is back in their street clothes the extraordinary focus brought on tribal culture is gone, everyone, participants and spectators alike, look and act the same. We’re all back in the here and now to being everyday Americans.

Until the next powwow that is. Then the tribal culture explodes again with all the intensity and color and sound and whirlwind of activity that it has. As it has been doing for as long as the tribal cultures have existed. It is remarkable that with all the technological advancements we have made that one can attend a powwow and see into the past. The dances tell their stories, the regalia tells who the individual is, the ceremonies bind the people together again, and the circle is completed one more time.

This is a dynamic culture. It is not static. The people move forward with the time, incorporating anything new that enhances their culture, even while maintaining their direct vision of themselves as distinct members of society with a rich culture rooted deeply in our past. There is a lot going on within one of these celebrations. Attend one if you can.

2016 NCIPA Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association

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On April 16th and 17th The Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association or NCIPA held their annual pow wow in Ft. Collins, Colorado. It was a large event filling three basketball courts and was attended by participants and visitors alike. There was dancing and competitions with the participants dressed in many styles of regalia as each participant made their style their own..

The two-day event brought out the best in the dancers, singers and drummers and everyone was moved by the various ceremonies that were performed. In the next few weeks we will be bringing you a selection of photos that showcase this wonderful event.

This participant was gracious enough to be photographed and he displays the quality of the dress and accessories that were a large part of this years celebration. This gathering was held indoors as there was a large snowstorm that kept everybody inside. That didn’t stop the festivities however and the dancing and singing went on deep into the evening. If you get a chance to attend a pow wow in your area don’t miss it. You’ll be amazed by the amount of history and culture on display. Stayed tuned for more images from the Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association’s event from Ft. Collins, Colorado.

Portrait Of A Crow Dancer

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When I was at The Crow Fair last August I had the opportunity to photograph many of the participants. There was constant dancing and drumming and everywhere you looked was a swirling kaleidoscope of color and movement. Dozens and dozens of dancers participated in the contests and different ceremonies. It seems as if one of the reasons for the festivities was to create a sensation of constant movement, color and sound.

Yet every once in a while you would find someone standing motionless, watching, alistening, being in the moment. This Crow dancer was one of those who took a moment out of the frenetic activity to perhaps reflect on his heritage and the part he plays in it.

Periodically I will be featuring portraits of the many dancers from several tribes. This is the first featured participant. I am proud to present Crow Dancer.