The 26th Annual Spring Powwow, today at the Aztlan Community Center

Theresa Rose

PHOTOS BY THERESA ROSE

Opening at 10:00 am, the Spring Powwow, hosted by the Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow Asociation (NCIPA), will continue from yesterday with dance contests, music, drumming and an Indian art market. The entry fee is $6.00 for the entire day and all are welcome. It is recommended that visitors purchase a program for $3.00 as it explains Powwow etiquette, describes the different categories of the dance competition and contest rules and introduces drummers and head staff and master of ceremonies.

Bracelets by Nelson Garcia

The accompanying Indian Market includes jewelry, artwork, clothing, handmade sage wands and other examples of Native American crafts.

Bryan Valdez Redmoon, wood carver from Erie, Colorado

Artist Bryan Valdez Redmoon, an old acquaintance whose heritage combines Jicarilla Apache and Taos Pueblo tribal affiliations, is a former resident of Fort Collins, now living in Erie. An example of his work is a massive wooden sculpture visible on the west side of Remington Street just north of Laurel. When asked to describe his costume he said “Don’t call them costumes. We call them “outfits”. He went on to say that the outfits are personal expressions of traditional designs and always utilize eagle feathers. As for the different categories of dances, he mentioned the Traditional Dance, inspired by the mating dance of the sage grouse. He also spoke of the Grass Dance, recalling the tradition where the men are sent into an area to trample the grass flat enough to make the space suitable to set up camp. When asked about the criteria for judging a dancer, he said it had to do with how you look when you’re dancing but nothing more specific. He also mentioned that Chief Oliver Red Cloud from the Lakota Nation had adopted him as a grandson.

The Powwow begins at 10:00 am and continues until 6:00 pm when the competition winners are announced. Photographs are most welcome but it is polite to ask permission first.

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