The Denver March Pow-wow

            The Denver March Pow-wow (March 24^th through the 26^th) is a gathering of Native Americans of many different tribes to showcase their dancing, music, and art.  The Denver Pow-Wow is considered a major pow-wow as will consist of several 5-6 hour sessions a day over the course of three days.  The event consists of three distinct categories with all three intertwined throughout the event.  The overall event fall into three basic events: The Grant Entry, Intertribal Dances and Contests, with Head dancers and Host drums leading each one.  This is a unique chance to see the Native American culture as they step back into the past as well as look forward to the future.

            The head dancers consist of both male and female dancers of all ages.  They will lead the other dancers during the grand entry that opens the pow-wow and may join the dancers in some of the dances.  The host drums provide the music for the dancers.  Each drum has a lead singer who is responsible for running the drum and leading the singing. 

            A pow-wow consists of three concentric circles.  The center circle is the dance arena.  The circle surrounding the dance arena is for the MC table, drum groups and places for the dancers and their families to sit.  The outside circle is for spectators with vendor booths outside of the circles surrounding the entire event.  The event begins with the Grand Entry, during which all the dancers line up by dance style and age, then enter the arena while one of the host drums sings a special song. Normally, the first in are veterans carrying flags and eagle staffs, followed by the head dancers, then the dancers follow in a specific order: Men's Traditional, Men's Grass Dance, Men's Fancy, Women's Traditional, Women's Jingle, and Women's Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order. Following the Grand Entry, the MC will invite a respected member of the community to give an invocation. The host drum that did not sing the Grand Entry song will then sing a Flag Song, followed by a Victory or Veterans' Song, during which the flags and staffs are posted at the MC's table.

            The majority of the dances preformed are dances handed down from the Plains tribes of Canada and the United States.  Contest dances for each particular style and age group are often held with the top dancers receiving a cash prize.  In order to compete in a contest, the dancers must be in an appropriate outfit for the competition. 

            If you are interested in seeing these Native American dances or just shopping for Southwestern crafts and art, come join Colorado Explorer at the Denver March Pow-wow.