Originally published on Reznet
MISSOULA, Mont.—Despite being shorter in length and taking longer to
organize, this year’s Native American student-run powwow at the University of Montana attracted more than 500 dancers and 20 drums.
Amber Walks Over Ice, vice president of the Kyi-Yo Native American Student Association, which organized the 41st annual Kyi-Yo Celebration, declared the powwow a success—despite cutbacks and setbacks.
“The officers and the small amount of members have just been really
busy, working their butts off throughout both semesters,” Walks Over
Ice said.
The powwow was cut to two days, from the usual three, and the Kyi-Yo
organizers lacked the assistance of a powwow class, normally offered in
spring semester to train students to help organize the celebration. The
university was unable to fund the class this year, Walks Over Ice said.
Crow-style dancer Calvin Walks Over Ice, of Lodge Grass, Mont., said
he skipped the Crow Nation’s election of a new tribal chairman April 18
so he could be in Missoula for the powwow.
“We thought that our style of dance should be represented here since
they were gracious enough to have a category for our style of dance,”
he said.
In addition to all the dancers and spectators, more than 20 drums
participated in this year’s powwow, including host drums Meskwaki
Nation from Tema, Iowa, and Eya-Ney Nakoda from Morley, Alberta,
Canada.
