Pow-Wow a Showcase for Drummers, Dancers
hy Brent Merril!
A float from Chinook Winds Casino Resort fea
This year’s annual Nesika Ulahee Pow-Wow in
Siletz turned out to be a showcase for drummers, tured Tribal youth and there was a special appear
dancers, Elders, youth, weddings, honoring ceremo ance by the three traditional Warm Springs chiefs.
The three traditional chiefs were the guests of honor
nies, visiting dignitaries and even the weather.
Drummers and dancers from all over the Indian
nations made their way to Siletz for the pow-wow that
started on August 7 with an evening royalty pageant
and finished on August 10 with the final grand entry
on the Pauline Ricks Memorial Pow-Wow Grounds.
Elders and their youthful protégés danced
throughout the arena to make this event memorable
and pow-wow emcee Nick Sixkiller tried his hand at
weddings when he performed a ceremony on Au
gust 9 for a young couple dressed in traditional white
buckskin and a red ribbon shirt.
The star of the show may have been the weather
as it alternately rained on and cooked attendees with
cold showers and then sunny stretches that made the
whole arena smell like wet grass.
New Tribal royalty - Jennifer Easter as Miss Siletz,
Photo hv Natasha Kavanaugh
Rose Pigsley as Jr. Miss Siletz and Ashliegh Ramirez
as Siletz Princess - were crowned on August 8 just
before the first grand entry.
The next day began with a parade that started at
the Tribal administration building and made its way
through the streets of Siletz before finishing at the pow
wow grounds at Government Hill. The parade featured
many local Tribal youth and Tribal Council mem
bers as well as the local mounted posse, several law
enforcement agencies and local car show enthusiasts.
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September 2008
and served as grand marshals for the parade.
“The pow-wow was great this year,” said Tribal
Chairman Delores Pigsley. “The grand marshals were
a hit with the audience.”
Pigsley said the Warm Springs delegation was
honored with a treaty blanket and a special luncheon
after the parade.
Siletz Tribal Elders Ed Ben and William DePoe
were joined by the Warm Springs representatives to
start grand entry on August 9 at 1 p.m.
Dancers from all over Indian Country filled the
dance arena all afternoon, breaking only to dry off
from the summer showers or the sweat of dancing in
the heat in regalia.
Tribal youth San Poil Whitehead was honored
that afternoon with a gift of a hand drum. The pow
wow was stopped, San Poil received his honor from
good friend David West while surrounded by fam
ily, friends and community members.
The grand entry on August 10 led the way for
the contest dancers to get in their final attempts to
woo the judges and pow-wow attendees to get their
last Indian tacos and fry bread. Dance prizes ranged
from $25 to $5(X) for first place in a major category.
“We place high value and take pride in the way
we have been preserving our heritage,” said Pigsley.