The 56th annual Kyiyo Pow Wow took place in Missoula over the weekend. MTPR’s Victoria Traxler has more on the sights, sounds and significance of the event.
Friday evening, thousands of people flowed into the University of Montana Adams Center. Outside, food trucks were busy cooking fry bread. Inside, the halls were filled with laughter and excitement. The dancers’ colorful, ornate regalia echoed throughout the halls. Some were adorned with feathers, others bells.
At 6 p.m., hundreds of dancers of all ages circled the floor, queuing the first Grand Entry of the weekend.
The event is a celebration and time to preserve important Native American traditions. Many people drove hours from all over the region, including Canada, to attend. It’s one of the oldest student-led pow wows in the country.
Secretary of the Kyiyo Native American Student Association, O’Shay Birdinground says, "It’s all for the community to enjoy, and to bring out Missoulians and Montanans alike to celebrate with us Indigenous people ."
Dozens of tables with vendors lined the halls. Attendees could purchase jewelry, clothing and art. Trisha Running Crane Deveraux says she’s been coming since she was a girl.
"I like vending here because there’s a lot of people, there’s a diversity of people who come here." she says.
Devereaux’s table faced the main arena, where 30 drum circles outlined the floor. Dancers from different tribes shared their unique styles and regalia.
UM student Dylan Pretty On Top was among them.
"It feels good to dance for the people, for the people who came to watch, for the people that can’t dance themselves," Pretty On Top says.
Among the crowd Saturday was Browning's Democratic State Sen. Susan Webber. She says she’s attended for decades.
"I truly believe that the Native people have more power than we’ve ever had in our history," Webber says.
She says the pow wow celebrates and unites tribes across Montana and feels important to her this year.
Shakeups at the federal level are beginning to impact Tribal nations, and the American Indian Caucus continues to advocate for policy as the state Legislature nears its close.
Montana Public Radio is a public service of the University of Montana. State government coverage is funded in part through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
