Montrose - Daily Press

Scott Schwebke

DELTA - Native American culture came alive Saturday during the 10th Annual Council Tree Pow Wow at Confluence Park in Delta.

Wilma Erven, who coordinated the Pow Wow, estimated that more than 11,000 people attended the event that began Friday and concluded Sunday.

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Spectators were enthralled by the pageantry of Native American drummers and dancers who were clad in costumes consisting of a rainbow of colors including turquoise, purple, deep red and yellow.

Alice Bosser said she and her husband George, who are from Westminster, have been attending the pow wow for the last five years to soak in the sights and sounds of Native American culture.

"It'sŠ. colorful and it gets bigger every year," she said.

Amy Hand, whose family recently moved from Michigan to Grand Junction, said the pow wow gave her two daughters, Jordyn, 6, and Madelyn, 2 1/2, a glimpse into the area's Native American heritage.

"It's kind of a learning experience," she said. "It teaches them about different cultures."

The pow wow, which included arts, crafts and food, was also homecoming of sorts for Native Americans tribes throughout the region, particularly the Southern Utes of Ignacio, Ute Mountain Utes of Towaoc, and the Northern Utes of Fort Duchesne, Utah.

"It gives the Ute people a chance to return to their homeland," Erven said.

Native American dancers competed in various categories, including the men's fancy dance, grass dance and women's fancy shawl dance.

Freestyle movements mark the men's fancy dance, but participants are required to follow the beat of the drum. Added to the basic rhythm of the dance are fancy footwork, increased speed, acrobatic steps and wild body movements.

During the grass dance, when dancers move, thin strips of rawhide wave around, mimicking grass blowing on the prairie.

In the women's fancy shawl dance, steps are individually choreographed but are designed to stay in harmony with the drumbeat. Dancers wear costumes adorned with beadwork that complements the motion of the shawl.

Several participants in Saturday's competitions said they enjoy showcasing their heritage through dance.

Darrell Shavanaux, 62, a Northern Ute whose regalia included an eagle father headdress, a traditional breechcloth and buckskin trousers, said he dances to honor the "good spirit of the Indian people" and to show respect for nature and the environment.

"These (nature and the environment) are things we're related to," said Shavanaux, who is the great-great grandson of Shavano, a war chief and medicine man for famed Ute Indian Chief Ouray.

Chris Brown, who is Shavanaux's 16-year-old nephew and has been dancing for about six months, said he performs to keep the culture of his people alive.

Contact Scott Schwebke via e-mail

at scotts@montrosepress.com.

Comments

marqthompson wrote on Feb 1, 2010 3:21 AM:

" This is a wonderful article. The things given are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.
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marqthompson
Noosa real estate "




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Kaitlyn Heichel wrote on Nov 3, 2009 2:01 PM:

" My dad was Robert Heichel and i just wanted to thank again everyone that helped looked for him. It was over 3 years ago that he died, but i will never forget him. I think about him still every single day and life without him is so hard. Thank you everyone who spent time looking for him. I wish this could have been a happy ending but life isn't fair. My dad died when i was 12 and i am now almost 16. Thank you again for everything you guys have done. Your amazing. "




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Sarah Bond wrote on Jul 13, 2009 5:31 PM:

" It really makes me sick that people lie about certain events to make themselves look better than they really are... Just to set the record straight, one of those stories is extremely false. Email me if you want the real story from the person who was actually there. "




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