Heralding Heritage Drumming, Dancing, Feasting Draws Participants - Especially The Young - From Tribes Around Region

As if by instinct, the children broke out in dance, even though the drummers were just practicing.

Some as young as 2 years old already knew the steps, bending their shoulders toward the earth as they twirled around in full tribal regalia.

“I like to dance,” said 6-year-old Raelene Heemsah of the Ojibway Tribe in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Heemsah and her family were among about 300 people from around the region who gathered Friday night to kick off the 27th annual Eastern Washington University PowWow.

About 60 Native Americans participated in the opening Grand Entry dance, filling the Pavilion with an explosion of colors and sounds.

The free event, sponsored by the campus Native American Student Association and the American Indian Community Center, continues today with traditional dancing and cuisine. Vendors will sell handmade arts and crafts.

Organizers expect 2,000 people to attend by tonight when the event ends. Many will have traveled from as far as California, Oregon, Montana and Canada.

Melanie Heemsah, Raelene’s mother, said she and her family travel to as many as 45 powwows a year so Raelene and her 4-year-old sister, Dayna, can dance professionally.

“I get to have $1 when I win,” Raelene said, as her mother dressed her in a bright purple outfit with beaded moccasins.

Last year, Raelene earned about $1,200 from dance competitions, Melanie Heemsah said.

Parents watched with pride as their kids danced alongside adults. Idella Rattler of the Blackfeet Tribe remembers dancing when she was a child.

“I was born into it,” Rattler said. Despite being six months pregnant, Rattler was dressed in full dress Friday night and danced with her family.

But dancers say they don’t go to powwows for the money.

“We come because it’s a family event,” said Deborah Rattler, Idella’s mom. “It gives us a chance to showcase our heritage.”

Rattler said she enjoys following her family on the powwow circuit because it’s an ageless tradition.

“There’s a place in the powwow for anyone, no matter how old they are,” Rattler said.

About 44 adults and more than 20 children registered for the competition dances.

Dancers were not the only ones taking part in the festivities.

Gabriel Corral of the Spokane Tribe and his family were in a drumming group. They call themselves “Iron Spirit.”

“The one thing I love best to do is sing,” Corral said, as he took a break from pounding out rhythms.

Corral said he likes going to powwows “to meet new people and visit old friends.”

As the sounds of drums beat inside the Pavilion, the smell of fry bread wafted through the air outside.

Lynn Kirsch of the Blackfeet Tribe made Indian tacos at her stand, The Raven Concession.

“There are no restaurants in town where you can buy an Indian taco,” Kirsch said. Kirsch said the authentic food is part of what makes powwows a cultural event.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: EWU POWWOW CONTINUES The 27th annual Eastern Washington University Pow-Wow continues today with a public feast from 5-6:45 p.m. in the campus Pavilion. The dinner is free and will be followed by a Grand Entry and traditional dancing through midnight.