Singers and dancers brave heat as Prairie Island hosts annual powwow
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
The Prairie Island Indian Community opened its annual powwow on Friday evening, and the singing and dancing carried on through a hot Saturday afternoon. Temperatures in nearby Red Wing hovered around 90 degrees by noon.
Dancers competed anyway, part of a contest that runs all weekend long. Several elder women in traditional regalia carried umbrellas into the dance arena to shield themselves from the sun. Out at the food stands, the cheese on a frybread taco melted in the afternoon heat.
Grand entry brought the dancers into the arena together in a sweep of color and sound. At Prairie Island, grand entry started around 7 p.m. Friday evening and again twice on Saturday. Dancers come in again Sunday afternoon.
Throughout the afternoon on Saturday, the powwows’ emcees Vince Beyl and Whitney Rencountre announced that a "water brigade" was on hand to keep everyone hydrated. The heat may have worn down some powwow goers, but plenty of people toughed it out, setting up their chairs in the shade outside the dance circle.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
More than a dozen drum groups set up around the arena, competing in the weekend's singing contest. The host drum is Toka Nuwan.
Powwows are social dances. People come from across the country to visit with friends, to eat, to shop and to enjoy singing and dancing.
According to Prairie Island powwow committee chair Terre Ann Taylor, there are about a dozen food vendors on the grounds this year selling frybread tacos, wild rice dishes and lemonade. Two dozen art and crafts vendors came from around the country to sell beadwork, jewelry, ribbon work and t-shirts. Taylor said people travel to Prairie Island from as far away as Florida, Washington state, New York and Canada.
Prairie Island’s midsummer gathering is a contest powwow, which means dancers and singers compete for cash prizes across all age categories, from tiny tots to elders. The competition draws skilled dancers and drum groups from far and wide.
The event is free and open to the public. For those who would rather stay out of the heat, the powwow is livestreamed.
