Gathering settles into NEW DIGS
Different venue, same majestic show.
The 34th annual Gathering of Nations began Friday at Expo New Mexico as 3,000 dancers in full regalia and representing 565 Native tribes from the U.S. and Canada, performed to rhythmic drumming and traditional chants.
Despite a constant rain outdoors, the stands inside Tingley Coliseum were approaching capacity for the first Grand Entry, filled in part with delighted spectators — many of whom had never been to a powwow, let alone one that is billed as the largest in the world.
“I have no words,” said
Francesca Martelli, from Torino, Italy, who balanced her 4-year-old niece on her lap and then found plenty of words.
“It is really spectacular. For a lot of people in Italy, all we know about this kind of thing is from the movies, the spaghetti Westerns. People in Italy are fascinated by Westerns and when they come to the U.S. they want to see the Southwest.”
Spaghetti Westerns, however, never depicted a powwow of this magnitude. “The costumes here are so beautiful,” Martelli said. “We do have festivals in Italy, and in one historic festival where I come from we throw oranges, but we don’t have anything like this. Of course, we have opera, and the costumes are also very colorful and beautiful.”
Dale Wilson from Washington state said he has always wanted to see a powwow but just never got around to it.
“This is supposed to be the biggest one so I thought I’d check it out while here visiting friends,” he said. “It’s nice to see people from different tribes coming together to keep their culture alive and preserve their traditional languages and dance and dress. You can feel the spirituality.”
Albuquerque resident Daryl Yazzie, who describes himself as an “urban Navajo Indian,” says he hasn’t missed a Gathering of Nations in a dozen years.
“I didn’t grow up on the rez (reservation), so this gives me a window into a world that is part of my culture even though, practically speaking, it’s not part of my life,” he said. “It evokes a sense of place and a sense of pride in me.”
For decades, the Gathering of Nations powwow was held at University of New Mexico basketball arena, known as the Pit. After last year’s event, UNM terminated its contract with the organizers of the powwow due to long-standing disagreements. Expo New Mexico immediately began courting the organizers and successfully persuaded them to relocate there.
A good decision, according to many Native dancers who commented on how much they were enjoying their new digs.
“The dance floor is bigger and I really love that,” said Terrell Lafferty, an Oglala Lakota from Minnesota. “At the Pit, we were on a basketball court and it would get pretty crowded, especially during the Grand Entry when everyone was dancing at the same time. There is even more seating room on the floor here. This is so much better, I think.”
Tonya Moore, a Cheyenne and Arapaho from Oklahoma, said she was really glad to no longer have to negotiate the steep stairs and narrow aisles that made getting down onto the dance floor at the Pit so difficult, especially while wearing full regalia.
“I think this is great,” she said of Tingley Coliseum. “This place seems like it accommodates everybody.”
Vendors, however, had mixed feelings about the move.
Gil Stewart who operates the Native Cafe, located outside of Tingley in the area where food is sold during the State Fair, said “right away I could feel that this is 100 percent better than being in the parking lot at the Pit.”
There, he said, “we had to haul our own water, provide our own electrical generator and dispose of our own gray water,” Stewart said. “Here, there are water drains, fresh water bibs and electricity. This is huge, and it takes a load off our minds when we’re setting up, and Expo has the crew and staff to support the vendors. I’m really happy to be here.”
Gathering of Nations events
Powwow events at Expo New Mexico begin today at 10 a.m. with live entertainment on Stage 49 outside Tingley Coliseum, and on the arena floor inside Tingley. Grand Entries are at noon and 6 p.m., and Miss Indian World will be crowned at 7 p.m. Tickets, available at the gate, are $18, and parking is $10.
But some vendors in the Indian Traders Market, housed in the Creative Arts Building and an adjacent giant tent, missed their previous spots in the mezzanine area ringing the Pit.
Jewelry vendor Chastity Minchala, from Colorado, said she thought visitors weren’t even aware that there were two separate areas for shopping, “and it seems like there’s more foot traffic in the tent than in the building.”
Further, she noted, “at the Pit we felt like we were more part of the powwow, now we feel like we are separated from it. Vendors can’t even go into the powwow without buying another wristband. I think that should be included as part of the fee for the booth space.”
But the move was a plus for at least one shopper.
“This is a lot nicer and there is much more room to move around,” said Colorado resident Nancy Runningwolf. “The Pit was uncomfortably crowded to the point where it seemed like an assault on personal space. I think the number of vendors and the selection this year might even be better than last year. I like this a lot better.”