Toppenish Powwow  

2010 Powwow details TBA.

Webmaster's Note:

The powwow will once again be held at the Longhouse. The committee wanted to work with the Rodeo Association to hold the powwow in its traditional location, but rather than return phone calls or emails to Powwow Committee staff the Rodeo Association chose to do an end-run around them by soliciting a separate group to organize a mini-powwow, the IHS Healthy Heart "Dance Away Diabetes" Program. In recent years since a motorcyclist's injury claim and other financial woes, the Rodeo Association demanded $2,500 rent from the Powwow Committee to hold the 70+ year old Powwow in its traditional location, this rental payment would not include power, water service, or access to restrooms. Yet, the Rodeo Association offered free use of all facilities to Dance Away Diabetes.

Dance Away Diabetes contacted the coordinator of a youth drum that had been performing for the weekly dance class practices for the last three years, who then passed along the invite to the true and proper Toppenish Powwow Committee. In a phone conversation, Anna Ward of the Rodeo Committee exclaimed that she didn't want to speak to the powwow people and didn't want a "powwow" powwow, which is why she went to another group. She did not ask for rent, probably since the Committee was now acting as the Dance Away Diabetes' Powwow Committee (on paper), but she stipulated that the powwow could only go on from 5pm to 8pm on Friday, July 2 and from 6pm to 8pm on Saturday, July 3, and that it must be focused on children. The powwow was not to be really big and that it was not to be held after dark under any circumstances due to her belief it would equate to alcohol use. In reality, a powwow is focused on Drums and Dancing, and whether children, teens, adults and/or elders show up to dance, that is whom we shall have dancing. Alcohol is not allowed at powwows and we have tribal police to haul away violators. A 4th ofJuly Powwow cannot truly be "focused" on an age group. And a 4th of July Powwow that can only be held on the 2nd and 3rd of July cannot work, especially when we need a day for namegivings, memorials and rejoinings. In the past, the Rodeo Association has butted heads with the Powwow Committee about many things, including which vendors were allowed and to whom they should report, and the Rodeo Association also complained that the Indian Village did not look authentic enough because some campers used modern tents and thus did not fit into television Indian stereotypes the Rodeo Association envisioned. It is obvious the Rodeo Association simply does not want the Powwow to be held on its own terms even though the Powwow is the real tourist attraction for the Toppenish 4th of July event.

So go over to the Longhouse for the Powwow -- the view of the Casino's fireworks is much better, anyway!