Ultimate Powwow Travel Guide

Today we got the Ultimate Powwow Travel guide for those who want to attend a Native American Powwow in United States or Canada. This will help you know certain

What is a Powwow

A Powwow is a Native American celebration of life. It’s full with spectators, dancers, singers, Powwow Committee, local hosts of people in a certain community, food stands, and more.

There is a lot that goes on at a Powwow and the slight changes will really depend on what area you are travelling to. The reason for slight changes in Powwows is because each Tribe will have their own unique ceremonies and ways of doing things.

Powwows are usually a 3 day celebration and commonly happen on the weekends during the Summer month.

Although many Powwows also happen year round throughout North America, so It will not be hard to find a Powwow near you.

Where are the Powwows Located

Powwows are usually located at a Host Tribe Reservation or they are sometimes located in Cities and Hosted in Arena’s because of partnerships with other Organizations.

A very easy to find a Powwow is to do a Google Search Like This:

“Powwow + Location”

For example

“Powwow + Alberta”
“Powwow + Michigan”
“Powwow + Hawaii”
“Powwow + Wisconsin”
“Powwow + Saskatchewan”

Or another way is to follow a great Powwow Facebook Page like Powwow Times.

How Far is a Powwow From You

This is a great question to ask yourself when planning out going to a Powwow. You will want to know how far the Powwows are and time it.

Nowadays there are Powwows in Almost Every State and Province in North America. They even have a Powwow in Hawaii now.

The question is…. How Far Can You Travel.

A lot of people drive to a Powwow and sometimes it can take a few days if you are travelling across Country Borders.

Also the Powwow you go to will really determine a type of experience you will have. There are Powwows that attract really great dancers and singers and have a great MC to keep the high vibes going throughout the weekend.

Then there are more laid back Powwows with fewer dancers and singers and might end early.

It really pays to know which Powwows you would vibe with the most. Do you like High Energy Powwows or More Laid Back Powwows?

Here are a Quick List of The Top 5 Powwows One Should Attend at Least Once in Their Lifetime

1. Shakopee Minnesota Powwow
2. Mandaree Powwow
3. Gathering of Nations
4. Manito Ahbee Powwow
5. Edmonton N.I.C.E Expo Powwow

Tips for Travel

Now that you have a Powwow in mind to attend, it’s time to plan it out.

How far is the Powwow from where you are?

If I lived in Edmonton and wanted to travel to the great Manito Ahbee Powwow in Winnipeg, then I would need to know how far the distance is.

The Powwow will usually have a Powwow Poster that will tell you when the Powwow will start. For the most part, Powwows will start at 7pm on a Friday and a Grand Entry will kick off the event where all the dancers will dance in.

Make sure to leave enough time for travel if you plan to make the Grand Entry on the first day of the Powwow. If you are 16 hours away from the destination, then you can plan for up to 2 days of travel time to get there.

Camping vs Hotel

Now you have to plan for accommodations.

If you only plan to stay for a few hours or part of the Powwow then perhaps you are going to travel home the same day and won’t need to worry about this part.

If you plan to stay for the whole celebration, then this will be good information.

For Those Who Are Willing to Camp in Trailer

Most Powwows provide camping space. A lot of people will bring in their trailers, others will bring their RV’s or Campervans, and there are a lot of people who set up Tents.

There is even a good possibility to rent out one of the Tipi’s set up at a Powwow, just need to get a hold of one of the owner’s or the Powwow Committee to find that out.

For those with Trailers, a great tip would be to show up a day early so you can find a good spot. If you show up a few hours before the Powwow begins, it can be difficult to navigate and find a good camping spot.

Most Powwows do not provide electricity, so it is up to you to bring your source of electricity such as a power generator.

Be courteous to other campers and don’t block off more area then you really need. You are going to be around other people and these people are your new neighbours for the Weekend.

For Those Wanting to Camp Out in a Tent

If you are going to camp out in a tent then these tips will truly help you out.

Here is what I suggest. Prepare for any type of weather.

Sometimes the days can be HOT and then at night it can be COLD. You could be at a Powwow with beautiful weather, then a thunderstorm rolls in.

Think about have a great tent that can withstand any type of weather. Here is a quick list of supplies you may need when camping at a Powwow.

• Tent
• Blankets
• Extra Tarp
• Pillow
• Towel(s)
• Shade
• Camping Chairs
• Flashlight
• Toilet Paper
• Water Bottle
• Lighter
• Bug Repellent

If You Are Going to Stay in a Hotel

Most times if the Powwow is close to a city or town or maybe the Powwow will be in the city or town, they will have a host hotel.

This is where the Hotel is a partner of the Powwow through a sponsorship or is doing an exchange for advertising through the Host Powwow’s promotion. From this you can get discounted rooms for your weekend stay.

This can save you some money if you are on a budget.

Powwows can be very popular in certain areas and the city that is close to the Powwow may have a lot of events going on that same weekend. With that in mind, it is a good idea to book your hotel months in advance to ensure you have a place to stay.

Travelling Solo vs With People

Is there a difference between driving solo or with a group?

The answer is YES.

Let’s talk about both.

Travelling Solo to a Powwow

This is can work a few different ways. Perhaps you know some people at your destination and you are going to meet up with them when you get there, thats cool.

If that is the case then your people will most likely be great hosts and show you around and let you know whats going on at the Powwow.

If you are travelling solo and you don’t know anyone, then this is a whole other story. The cool part about Powwow is you can meet people, maybe even your future ex.

Who knows, either way it’s a great way to make friends and get introduced to new people.

Travelling With People

Now you may be travelling with a family and if that’s the case, that’s awesome. It’s will be similar to many family outings that you had in the past.

If you none of your family have ever been to a Powwow before, just remember to respect everything that is going on and have fun.

Sometime’s you may be travelling with people who are not your immediate family, but friends and cousin’s.

Well it’s time for a game plan.

Here are some great tips when travelling with others.

1. Everyone should have chip ins for gas, hotels, food, etc.
2. It’s good to have a few good drivers to take driving shifts
3. Everyone should help put up camp and take it down
4. Have fun and create some awesome memories

What Happens During a Powwow

A question that always comes up is what happens at a Powwow.

Well there are a lot of things that happen, so we are going to break it down into some main points for you.

Pipe Ceremony with elders’s and leaders to pray for the event that is about to take place

Opening Prayer – a Leader or Elder will open the Powwow with a prayer

Songs to open up the event – drum song for the drums

Grand Entry – Where all the dancers parade in adorned in their awesome regalia to open up the Ceremony

Songs to Honour the Past – Honour song and a victory song celebrating that we are still here practicing our culture

Honouring of Leaders and Hosts – After the Grand Entry is when the committee’s will honour the leaders, hosts, head dancers, royalty and more

Intertribals – Here is where the singers get to sing songs and also where the singing contest takes places as judges surround the drum to judge their singing. Also a time where dancers and spectators and can dance to warm up, visit with other dancers, and take part in some dancing

Dance Contest – Dance contest is when each category get’s to dance and it could be for a monetary gift or a dance competition. The dancers are categorized by dance style and age.

Dancers can dance up to 3 days and judged in their specific dance categories.

Give Aways – The host community will sometimes host a giveaway where the host community has gifts for the visitors which are handed out by the local hosts and tribe

Specials – Sometimes the hosts will put on specials as well as families. A special is where the host or family honour one of their family members or a certain dance category.

They put on a dance contest or singing contest as a special and give away prizes/prize money to winners who are judged by the committee or family that is putting on the special.

Feeds – Sometimes Powwow committee’s and families will host feeds and feed the visitors that have travelled to come attend the Powwow.

Special Performances – Powwow’s also have special performances of other types of dances that are not part of Powwows such as the hoop dance, bear dance, smoke dance, buffalo dance and more.

Closing – Near the end of the Powwow around Midnight or Before they will dance out the Eagle Staff and Flags to end the night

Tabulations – Throughout the Powwow, dancers and singers are accumulating points. At the end of the Powwow, tabulators will count the points for each dance category and singing category to find winners.

Announcing of Winners – At the end of the Powwow, the MC will announce the winners and the dancers and singers can come claim their prizes

There are usually 3-4 winners per category from first place down to fourth place.

Sometimes the drumming can have up to 10 places for winners.

What Do Powwow Dancers Wear

When you come to a Powwow, one of the main things you will notice is all the amazing regalia all the dancers are wearing.

It is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see.

One thing to keep in mind is what they are wearing are not called Costumes.

Costumes may be a commonly used word in the world of european dances such as ballet costumes and jazz costumes.

For Native American people these are not called costumes.

They are made up of designs that date back centuries. All of the dances have origin stories and a great deal of history backing them.

Today they are made up of designs from tribal roots and worked on by great seamstresses and craftsmanship.

You will see outfits with incredible beadwork with such great detail intwined in them. You will see quillwork from porcupine, feathers from the mighty Eagle, hair from Porcupine, Deer, and Otter.

A lot of the dancers wear bells, fur from goat, sheep, skunk, otters, and more.

You will find dancers carrying weapons, purses, fans made out of Eagle, turkey feathers, and rooster feathers.

It is a great sight to see all the creativity that goes into each outfit and it will differ from tribe to tribe and from Powwow to Powwow.

The Types of Dance Styles at a Powwow

Mens Dance Styles

Mens Fancy – This is a fast dance that originated in the Oklahoma area. A unique way to find out if they are fancy dancers is the two bustles on their back and usually have a rocker on top their roach that rocks back and forth to the drum beat.

They move fast and hop on the ground. In their hands is usually a dance whip that they move around when they dance as well.

Men’s Grass – This dance comes to us from the Omaha People. The dance can be found easy as this is one of the dance styles that are not wearing any bustles on their backs.

They were known as scouts back in the day and were so good that they would blend in with the grass movements and literally disappear to the enemy in the grass.

Men’s Traditional – These are the warriors. When they dance they would tell stories of successful hunts and battles. You can find them as they would have their face painted as if they are ready for battle.

They have bustles on their back, usually made of Eagle Feathers and they carry around weapons to help them tell their stories when they are in the dance floor.

Men’s Chicken – Here are one of the smoothest dances in the Powwow world. A dance that originated from the Blackfoot people would depict the mating ceremony of the Prairie Chicken.

You can find these dancers wearing smaller sized bustles and spandex pants. They carry things like rattles and hoops. It is an amazing dance to witness.

Common Ladies Dance Styles

Ladies Fancy – Often known as the first Women’s rights movements in North America. Before, ladies weren’t apart of the Powwow’s but they wanted to be apart of the dances and celebrations.

They were usually on the outside supporting the male dancing. Soon they started to push in and show the men they too could dance just as hard and good as the men.

You will find Ladies Fancy with the beautiful shawls and often resembling a bird or butterfly.

Ladies Jingle – A healing dance. Came to the Powwow world through a dream to heal a sick child. The dance originated from the Ojibwe people and since then exploded into popularity of the Native American people throughout North America.

You can find these ladies wearing beautiful dresses with jingles around the dress. It used to be where the dresses would have 365 jingles on the dress to represent each day of the year.

Ladies Traditional – The mothers and protectors of our circles. These ladies would keep an eye out for danger and watch the community. They would direct the men and make sure there is order.

You can see them in the Grand Entry surrounding all the dancers and looking into the circle.

What to Wear at a Powwow

If you are new to Powwows and you are not native, it’s not time to put on your old traditional Native American clothing that you found thrifting.

Just wear normal clothes that you would normally wear maybe visiting a Museum or going on a family outting.

Unless you are trying to find a potential partner…… bring some nice clothes.

On the real, make sure you account for weather changes. Prepare for rain, hot and cold weather, and also wind and dust.

Some days can be very beautiful days and nights, while other times, Powwows must contest with the elements of Mother Earth.

What to Eat at a Powwow

It would be great to find a lot of Native American Cuisine at a Powwow to take part in the history, but for the most part it is a lot of fast food selections.

Sometimes you get very lucky and find some great Native American soups and traditional foods and other times it will differ from where you are.

In Canada you can find things like:

• Poutines
• Bannock Burgers
• Fries and Gravy
• Soups
• Pizza
• Taco in the bag
• Hot Dogs
• Neck bones
• Caesar Salads
• Lemonades
• Tim Hortons Coffee

In America You Can Find Things Like:

• Tamales
• Tacos
• Pulled Pork
• Corn
• Fry Bread
• Turkey Legs
• Chinese Food
• Aguas Fresca’s
• Fruit Cups
• Rice

If you would like, you can bring your own food to a powwow and even have a family cookout at your camp.

Bathroom Tips

One of the tricky parts of attending a Powwow could be using the washroom.

Some Powwow’s do a great job by providing clean Porta-potties for the people with regular cleaning and maintenance.

While other Powwow’s seem to have a great lack in this area.

Some tips for using the washrooms are these:

• Bring your own supply of toilet paper
• Always have hand sanitizer handy
• Wait till the cleaners come through to use the washroom
• Use in hotel or gas station before going to Powwow

Frequently Asked Questions About Powwow

1.Can Anyone Attend a Powwow?

The Answer is yes anyone can join in on a Powwow. However we have seen people get kicked out of a Powwow for fighting, use of drugs and alcohol and not following rules of the Powwow

2. Can I take Pictures?

Yes you can take pictures. Be sure to ask the person you are taken pictures of or ask the Powwow Committee if you are doing it for media.

3. What are the Powwows Near Me?

It is great to do your research to find out. Each State and Province has different tribes that reside within certain territories. Not all tribes have Powwows.

Find out what tribes are in your area and do some searches on the Internet to find out if they celebrate Powwows.

4. Are Powwows Safe to Attend?

This question may come up as the portrayal of Native Americans from Early Europeans still linger in today’s society. The stereotypes of being Savages is still in the minds of people.

Powwows are very much safe to attend and for the most part the hosts are very friendly and do their best to make sure everyone has a great time.

---

Hopefully this helps you out in planning your trip to a Powwow very soon.

If you have any more questions regarding Powwows. Drop it in the comment section below and we will reach out to you.

If you got any value from this post, please share it on your social media

Also if you have some useful tips that we left out on this guide, please leave it in the comments and we will add it.

• WordPress