Huge New Mexico powwow draws thousands of attendees

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    In Albuquerque, New Mexico, thousands of attendees are gathering to witness a vibrant celebration of Native American and Indigenous cultures through dance, music, and artistry. The event, known as the Gathering of Nations, is hailed as North America’s largest powwow and ignited its festivities on Friday. The opening saw an exuberant procession of dancers adorned in elaborate costumes, swirling towards the center of an arena located at the state fairgrounds.

    Participants appeared in ornate attire, with some showcasing jingling bells and others featuring feather embellishments, all moving to the tempo of rhythmic drumming. Each participant brought personal purposes and emotions to this significant gathering. “It’s not just for show,” remarked Deshava Apachee, representing Mescalero Apache and Navajo heritage. “It’s for healing, for strength, and for reconnecting.”

    The festival also includes notable events such as the Miss Indian World pageant and horse parades, where riders are evaluated based on the craftsmanship of their intricate beaded adornments or feathered headdresses and their seamless interaction with their horses.

    Powwows, though relatively modern, emerged in the 1800s against the backdrop of the U.S. government’s land seizures from tribes across Northern and Southern Plains. Such forced migrations fostered intertribal solidarity among Plains people and Southern Canadian Prairie communities, resulting in a shared exchange of cultural songs and dances. As pioneers traveled westward, these gatherings were sometimes marketed as “authentic” Native American dance shows, seen by some as cultural exploitation.

    The term ‘powwow’ originates from ‘pau wau,’ an Algonquian Narrtick word for “medicine man,” though early English settlers misapplied it to native gatherings. Today, grand events like the Gathering of Nations have embraced more commercialized elements, offering dancing and drumming competitions with prize incentives to highlight Indigenous cultures.

    According to Warren Queton, a Kiowa Tribe legislator and academic, this festive attire can differ from ceremonial dances, where participants don tribe-specific regalia. At powwows, the garments are often more contemporary and vibrant, aiming to dazzle the judges. Queton emphasizes the importance of maintaining a distinction between ceremonial traditions steeped in community and identity and the more commercial powwow events.

    Emphasizing smaller-scale powwows within tribal communities has become pivotal. Queton notes these events allow individuals to return home, reforge family ties, engage with their native land, and impart traditions to newer generations. “Understanding your origins, your land, your oral traditions, your language, alongside values and traits can truly only be nurtured in a community setting,” he explained. “These smaller dances are crucial in imparting those community values as they feed into our identity.”

    Despite their modern slant, traditional elements persist within contemporary powwows. Competitors exhibit feathered bustles, buckskin dresses, fringed shawls, and intricately beaded headwear. Designed meticulously and sometimes over several months, these garments are a testament to cultural artistry.

    Capturing the essence of these powwows, Cochiti Pueblo artist Mateo Romero collaborated with the U.S. Postal Service to unveil a series of stamps dedicated to powwow culture during the Gathering of Nations. Describing dance expressions as hypnotic and vibrant, Romero’s artwork depicts the dynamics of a fancy shawl dance through colors, varied textures, and a blend of graphical elements, aiming to mirror the vitality seen within these events.

    Romero expressed immense honor in bringing powwow culture to postage, channeling what he describes as “good energy.” “The stamp serves as a medium to express the sentiment, the energy, the celebration, the vibration, and the beauty we witness,” he said. “It’s about capturing its profound power.”