Writing about the Native American ceremonies in my previous blog transported me to last year's Powwow experiences. Last July I was home visiting family in NC when I attended my first Powwow with my father and niece. It was a small affair, but the exposure to Native American culture and tradition were priceless. There were about 50 Native American participants, 13 vendors, and about 60 onlookers, but it was still fascinating. It was interesting to watch the dancing and costumes come together to the sounds of chanting and big barrell tribal drums.
My niece Yasmine especially enjoyed it. She had eaten a blueberry slushy that day and her big blue smile was full testament of her joy. However, my hometown Powwow was remarkably inferior to the one I attended two months later in Cabazon, CA. To even describe the "17th Annual Thunder and Lightning Powwow" will be a challenge in and of itself. I hope my pics give it justice. It was bigger, louder, brighter, and much, much frenzier ---- and I LOVED IT! About 6,000 Native Americans from various tribes all over the Southwest participated. Over 200 vendors peddling Native American food, music, crafts and jewelry dotted the perimeter while the middle packed an enormous tent stadium that corraled dancers, 
muscians, singers, and audiences. I gleefully walked around that day munching on buffalo burgers and Indian frybread, admiring beautifully handcrafted silver and turquoise jewelry, and clapping madly at the frenetic dancing that went on for hours under the big white tent. It was so wonderful to experience a different culture in such a festive way. If my mouth had demolished a blueberry slushy that day, I too, would've walked around flashing a big blue smile. :) 