That The Flag Did Still Wave

It was a bright sun filled day, that terrible bloody day in June of 1876. A day filled with cries and screams and shouts of victory. Of lances pointed high and gunshots ringing out across the Greasy Grass, of scalps taken and fatal blows struck by both sides and then a lonely silence as the victors cleared the field and wind was left to blow solemnly over those left behind.

There is a thing about the why’s and how’s of battle. It is not enough to win. That feeling is fleeting, the adrenalin soon dissipated. There needs to be something concrete and tangible to remind one of the results of that terrible risk taken, an actual prize from the field of battle that can link one back to that time when the memory grows dim. Something that is often referenced to remind one of the chances taken, the absolute finality of decisions, the very luck of the day. In this case for the victors it is the colors, the flag that meant so much to the vanquished, now held aloft and celebrated as a symbol of the glory of victory. To have captured that which was so important to their enemy validates their worth as warriors. It is proof undeniable that they were victorious.

There is a song important to us which contains the words “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave” that were spoken as a symbol of hope during another battle. On this day in June of 1876, on the gently swelling hillsides of the greasy grass alongside the Little Bighorn river, where many good men on both sides met their fate, that hope was transferred from the vanquished to the victors. The meaning of the symbol holds true regardless of who controls the flag. This time it is the warriors of the Indian nations that hold the flag. Soon enough it will transfer back as the pendulum swings back to the ebb and flow of battles past and present. But then that’s a story for another time.

The Rear Guard

Any good war chief knows you don’t commit all your troops to a battle. Some of the younger members are held back to hold the ponies while the more experienced warriors are off conducting the raid, or perhaps they are too young to be in the thick of things just yet but need the experience of being part of the action. To learn how to handle the fear and excitement, to learn how to be responsible enough to handle the smaller tasks of the war party before being entrusted with the larger duties.

Learning to be men is a difficult and frustrating task for these young warriors. After all if they’re old enough to be along on a raid they should be able to take part in it rather than just be pony holders. They’re brave enough, they know how to shoot and fight. Don’t they practice every single day? They tell each other they would count many coups against the enemy, and take many scalps. All they need is a chance to prove themselves, instead of being left to wait on the sidelines.

There is more to being a man and going to war than fighting hand to hand. The lessons learned by being a part of the group, of being thought of as mature enough to be equal company with the older men, learning to be patient and take orders and stand their ground, to be trusted. These are all lessons being taught while being the rear guard, even if they don’t realize yet they’re being taught. Their time will come all too soon.

2016 Eastern Shoshone Arapaho Portraits

The Eastern Shoshone and Arapaho powwow that was held in June of 2016 was a wonderful event full of dancing, singing and ceremony that showed just how proud the participants are of their culture and history. They were more than willing to answer questions about their tribal history and other activities that were being presented. This was a spectacular event and I am more than grateful for their kindness and friendship and I thank them for it. Below is a series of portraits of various participants who attended the event and I will let the images speak for themselves with the minimum amount of comment, other than to say what an honor it is to be able to join and observe this important part of their lives.

Readying himself to lead the honor guard into the Grand Entry

Dancing in all of her finery

A proud warrior ready to enter the circle

Experience shows

A proud young warrior

Observing the activity

The dance is all important as he puts his heart and soul into it

Calm and serene she makes the circle

Watching and listening

Modern and traditional, the two meld perfectly

A young face and a great smile

Women, the heart of a nation, dancing

The dancing goes on late into the night

These eyes have seen many dances

Beads, feathers, pride in culture all represented here in its finest

Seeing into the past, looking forward to the future

Confidence shows why elders are respected

Beautiful bead-work on a proud woman

A strong portrait of a man secure in his culture

It is always a time for reflection when you are in the circle

These portraits barely scratch the surface of the many participants of this powwow. In the future we will be posting more images of these wonderful people. Check back often for updates.

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.

What’s Going On

Our friend in the image up above is looking for the same thing you folks have been looking  for. Where have the posts been here at OpenChutes? Where are all the pictures from the powwows? Why haven’t you been posting?

I don’t know if you folks have ever touched a computer. I’m sure you have but my guess is that every single time you’ve touched one everything has worked perfectly. There has never been a problem and there is no reason anyone else should have a problem either. If my machine can work perfectly why can’t yours? The answer to that is I don’t know. All I know is that when ours goes on the fritz it’s like the end of the world.

We have had a computer bug similar to Ebola or that respiratory thing that’s going around right now where you can’t stop coughing for months and it feels like you’re passing a lung when you do, except this bug has been somewhere in the coding up on my server. Incredibly talented technical people just like the ones that put a man on the moon, could not get it resolved. Days went by then weeks. They huffed and they puffed, they gathered around Humpty and went at him with glue guns, they called Bill Gates, but nothing worked. We finally had to scrap most of the site and start over again. We still don’t know what it was.

Today however it looks like the gods have smiled upon us and lifted the sanctions they had in place and things seem to be working again. We won’t delve too deeply into cause and effect. Or the why’s and the wherefore’s. It’s working for now so we’re going to go ahead like we had good sense and start posting once more.

Hopefully the images from all the powwows taken this summer will magically begin to appear and we can all live happily ever after. Cross whatever you got to cross and we’ll hope for the best. Thanks to all of you who have patiently been waiting. Wish us luck.

 

The Itch

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Itches, we’ve all had them. They can be little tiny ones that barely register as an itch. Or great big huge ones that take over your whole life for a moment, or somewhere in between. If you’ve ever had one of those plaster casts they used to use in the last century when you busted your whatever, you probably have a good idea what an itch is. In fact you’re probably one of those that bent a coat hanger just right so it would slide down between the cast and your affected part so you could get at it and scratch like the devil. Even though you knew you shouldna done it. You done it. Any price was reasonable when you could scratch that one place that was driving you nuts.

I think it is pretty safe to say that mountain men had their share of itches. And being the resourceful souls they were they quickly figured out how to get them scratched. Some of them had a favorite scratching stick they carried along in their possibles bag that they had whittled during non-scratching times, just in case the scratching thing came up they wouldn’t be caught flat-footed.

Other’s, the deep thinkers, the more inventive mountain men, developed special ways to get the job done. Now we’re not saying that this scratcher deliberately went out and killed this bear to satisfy his scratching needs, in fact the bear may have been in the act of doing some scratching to him as sort of a volunteer action before it was killed. If so it wasn’t a great leap to figure out that his hide would make a good scratching vehicle in times of need, but also keep him warm at night. And look awfully darn good too.

Mountain men are more than admirable figures. They had to solve a lot of life’s problems on the fly anyway they could, so if they could get the job done and look good doing it that was even better. If you went to the 81st Green River Rendezvous at Pinedale, Wyoming, there were a bunch of them there. Mountain men that is. They’re just downright cool. Ask any one of them.

Faces of Ft. Bridger Rendezvous

ren·dez·vous
ˈrändəˌvo͞o,ˈrändāˌvo͞o/
noun
 1.
a meeting at an agreed time and place, typically between two people.
verb 1.  
  1.  to meet at an agreed time and place. Let’s rendezvous

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When the mountain men were working the Rockies during the early 1800’s they would trap all winter and when Spring came they would meet or rendezvous with all of their fellow trappers at a prearranged place and celebrate getting through another year, having mostly kept their hair. This meant carousing, and drinking, and having competitions, raising hell and finally selling their bales of hides and resupplying for the next year.

If you were a trapper and mountain man you didn’t miss rendezvous and the biggest and the best was the one at Ft. Bridger. Well it’s about 185 years later and the rendezvous is still going strong and held at the original site where Ft. Bridger stood. The image above shows some of the buildings from the old fort. The rainbow was to let everyone know that this was going to be the granddaddy of all rendezvous. So hang on it’s going to be a wild ride.

Even if you had the patience to sit through all the  pictures taken at this years rendezvous (there were thousands) there wouldn’t be room to display them all so I’m going to show some of the highlights and the faces that made up this years rendezvous. There’ll be  a minimum of text about each one to let you see the fun and excitement in all it’s glory.

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As you enter there is always a friendly face to greet you

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There were kids playing

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Old Time skills being passed along

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People standing in line to get food

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and catching up on the latest gossip.

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The soldiers from the fort were there as were mountain men in all their splendor

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And those who had seen it all before

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There were grumpy ones who were really friendly ones in disguise

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Happy ones enjoying everything to its fullest

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Serious ones that looked you right in the eye

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Drovers and bull whackers

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Those who showed off their own handiwork

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Leaders and guides

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Mountain men who lived with the Indians

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There were many types of head-gear. And then there were the ladies

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Sitting in their wide skirts talking about whatever ladies in wide skirts talk about

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Some ladies sold bonnets

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There were pretty ones with gorgeous smiles

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and some who wore big hats and lacy bodices

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And those who wore bloomers just because it was fun

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Some wore bustles

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There were Indian women in their very finest, wearing ermine and beads10-06-16ftbridge3307

Some wearing the Pony Soldier’s uniforms brought home to them as spoils of war

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There were law ponies just in case someone needed rounding up

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The camp was laid out in a neat and orderly fashion under some threatening clouds

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There’s always a flag flying, usually many of them

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Waiting for dinner

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It’s chicken. Dutch oven chicken. You could smell it a mile away. That’s how I found it, following my nose. Each piece worth a five dollar gold piece.

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How to keep ashes out of your nose. Use this long tube to blow on the embers and get them going again.

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As the day wore down the kids kept cool catching crawfish in the creek

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Towards evening they broke out the fiddles and guitars and the dance started

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Later there were sing-along’s around the campfire

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Then as the sun set and the moon rose there was quiet throughout the camp. Tomorrow’s another day

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But very importantly there is Mike Larson who quietly and tirelessly worked behind the scenes to make all this happen. Good job, Mike.

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.

81st Green River Rendezvous

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The 81st Green River Rendezvous was held in Pinedale Wyoming last July 7th thru July 10th and what a get together it was. There were Traders at Traders row that had Mountain Man paraphernalia for sale, a Midway with vendors and food sellers of all types, a parade with everybody that could fit into it that was two hours long! There was a rodeo at the rodeo grounds that was as exciting as any you could go to, and a pageant Sunday morning that told the story of the Rendezvous with local actors and horses and wagons and everyone in character and regalia from the time of the first rendezvous. Pictured above is one of the participants in the parade who was also a featured actor in the Sunday morning Pageant. This was all good stuff. Spectacular in fact.

For those of you who do not know what a rendezvous is, it was a gathering of the Mountain Men after their trapping season was finished for the year. They brought their pelts, usually beaver, to the rendezvous to sell to the traders and obtain the goods and supplies they would need for the next year’s trapping season. It was also the time they had to have an epic blowout, carousing, drinking, raising hell of all types in particular, to let off steam from the previous trapping season. These men waited all year to have this one big party that had to last them to the following year where they got to do it again, unless of course they ‘went under’ or ‘lost their har’ to whichever enemy happened to be around. It was a tough life and for some this party made it all worthwhile.

Another huge part of this Rendezvous was the encampment of the American Mountain Man group that was held on a grassy area next to the Mountain Man Museum. These folks are the real deal. Everything they do is authentic from making their own clothes and gear, to the tents and teepee’s  they sleep in. Some of the participants of this encampment have been featured in Articles in the National Geographic magazine and numerous other publications and media where authenticity was required. This encampment was worth the price of admission alone. Of course there was no admission charge, the entire weekend was free except for a couple of things like the rodeo ($7.00 ! Cheap at twice the price) and the pageant ($5.00 !). This was a tremendous event to attend and if you ever are in the area when this event is held, drop what you’re doing and get yourself to Pinedale, Wyoming for the time of your life.

We will be posting more images and stories about the Green River Rendezvous as time goes on. Stay tuned  and check back often for more information about the Incredible Green River Rendezvous. We have already marked this event on next years calendar. You should too.

2016 NCIPA Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow Association

2016 NCIPA Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow

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On April 16th and 17th this year the 24th annual Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow was held in Ft. Collins, Colorado. The weather was cold and rainy but inside the Northside Aztlan Community Center it was as warm as the smiles of the various attendees. Participants from all over were here to dance, drum, sing and celebrate their culture.

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As always the color guard opened the ceremonies with all the flags displayed. It is an honor to be chosen to be a member of the color guard and the veterans who participate have all served their country in different branches of the armed services.

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There are dances by the men.

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Fancy dancers with their fantastic regalia perform in a hypnotizing swirl of color and motion.

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Women dancers have their own dances and their regalia and performance is spectacular.

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There is every type of regalia from the most highly decorated to very simple traditional and it is all on display.

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The powwow couldn’t be held without the drummers who play and sing the traditional songs for the different dances.

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Fancy dancers are show stoppers with their incredible regalia and whirling, leaping, contestants. .

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There are times when the members take a celebratory turn around the circle and everyone joins in.

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Always there is color. The various accessories combine colors in ways that are fascinating.

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And always there are gifts. Here apples have  been placed where the youngest of the participants can race out to gather them. Lots of fun for them and lots of fun for those who watch from the sidelines.

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The youngest are also watching. Much can be learned by simply observing. This is how knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. By seeing, hearing, participating, talking to their elders, listening to their stories and always with receiving much love and attention.

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There are also big observers. But they learn too.

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The bead and quill work on the various pieces is incredible. This is all hand done and the numbers of hours and effort that goes into them is beyond counting.

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Sharing the experience makes lasting memories for both young and old.

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Youngsters waiting for their time to dance. These are great kids and they truly seem to be enjoying their part in all the proceedings. There is a lot of pride here.

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More color and detail shows how some of the regalia is constructed.

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Many of the participants look as if they stepped out of an Edward Curtis photograph or perhaps a George Catlin painting.

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Styles of dress varied. There were as many different looks as there was participants.

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Dancing gives life to the clothing, the accessories carried, and to the participants themselves.

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The surroundings of the dance began to fade away as you listened to the drums and watched the dances performed. The fact that you were in a gymnasium was lost as you watched dances that could have been performed a hundred years ago.

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There was fun and excitement all around but underneath the activity it was always a serious spiritual event. This was not play, this was an expression of the participants culture and beliefs and was always a time of reflection.

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This young woman seemed to epitomize the effect these gatherings have on the people who attend them. Pride, attentiveness, beauty, strength of character, awareness of their culture, all folded into this gathering. Feeling the tradition that extends as far back into time as you can see, to right now in the chaos of the present, is reflected in her gaze.

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Nearly at the close of the event there was a couples dance. From the married couples down to the teenagers who have been flirting on the sidelines throughout the powwow, they parade around the ever-present circle that determines all they do in life. It shows how this is one large family. A family the reaffirms its bond to the tribe and their culture and to the world at large. That’s what a powwow is about.

In the future I will periodically post more images from this powwow so stay tuned for more. If you type, Crow, Blackfeet, Indian or the name of a gathering you will be able to visit pages from other powwows that have been posted here. There are literally hundreds of images from the many powwows, gatherings and Indian rodeos I have attended. Feel free to browse to your heart’s content. And if you feel so inclined forward this post to interested friends. Thanks