Seafair in Seattle!!

I was very eager to attend this year’s Seafair Powwow, I lived in Seattle, and many of my city friends would be there so I’d finally be able to share with them a little piece of Yakama. When I was in high school, I had volunteered at this Powwow. It’s held at the United Indians Daybreak Star Cultural Center which was established by Bernie White Bear in the 60’s to be a cultural center for the Native American community here in Seattle. Every summer they have the Seafair Powwow on their grounds—with a perfect view of the ocean. In my down time at the Powwow, I tabled with Clear Sky’s booth. My dad and I had also received gifts to hand out to promote Yakama Nation Land Enterprise: Pickled Asparagus! It tastes really good and I enjoy having something to give out to people.

With my good friend Tracy Rector of Longhouse Media! 

A few really special things happened at this Powwow; I was interviewed by KOMO 4 News, and my aunt came by with a new dress for me! While tabling, later in the afternoon, various news anchors were dropping by filming and checking out the Powwow—it’s one of the bigger events in Seattle after all! While tabling, I was being interviewed by another independent online news group, when another seemingly nondescript filmmaker showed up, although he had a larger camera. It was quick, but I was honored that he came over to ask me! We gave him some asparagus and he told us to check it out on the 11 o’clock news later that night. Later, my aunt Sophie came by with a brand new, pink and black southern style dress! I was in awe at its beauty! It was good that I was wearing my pink wingdress for the afternoon because it matched perfectly! She made it Southern style to honor my mom who is Southern Cheyenne. I was taught that when an elder makes you something and asks you to wear it, you honor their gift by wearing it.

Fellow Royalties!

The Powwow was quite a blur, as we went from one booth to the next meeting and greeting vendors, old friends, paused to say hi to the committee, and my friend Kaleena Marchand, who works with United Tribes to put on the Powwow. She’s an alum of the First Nations @ UW club and has more than enough experience. We visited with our friends Fern Renville and Martha Brice, directors of Red Eagle Soaring, a Native American Theater Group here in Seattle. I mingled with the other royalties; our own Veteran’s Day Queen of Yakama, the Puyallup Queens, along with the 2010-2011 Miss Shoshone Bannock! (Her outgoing Powwow was to be held in a few more weeks.) We round danced and socialized way past our original scheduled time. We were exhausted when we came home that night, I fell asleep the second I hit the couch…only be forced to wake minutes later to watch my interview on KOMO 4 News. It was thrilling and my last words were, “Yeah that was cool,” before collapsing a few seconds after it was done. Lol, it was totally worth it.