18
SEPTEMBER 1, 2016
S moke S ignals
Triple-digit dancing
Annual Contest Powwow a success despite hot days
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
wo year-old Tribal member
Ila Mercier stood in the
center of the Canoe Family
drum circle during the Confeder-
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s 2016
Contest Powwow welcoming song
on Friday, Aug. 19, looking up at
the faces of her family … her Tribal
family.
Ila, who stands about knee-high
to most adults, studied the faces of
her father, Jordan Mercier, and fel-
low Canoe Family members Nicho-
las and Santiago Atanacio, Nokoa
and Kaikanim Mercier and Andrea
Grijalva one by one. She took her
time and examined each face before
moving on to the next one.
“She has been coming to pow-
wows since she was eight days old,”
said Jordan. “I think it’s natural for
her. It’s her home. It’s where she
feels comfortable and that’s kind
of how I wanted it to be.”
Canoe Family members gathered
near the announcer’s stand just
before drum roll call kicked things
off for the Tribe’s annual contest
powwow on Friday evening and
sang three welcoming songs. Kyoni
Mercier picked up young Ila and
held her for the last of the three
songs.
“That irst song is called the Old
Woman’s Song,” Bobby Mercier ex-
plained to the crowd. “The last song
we did was a Warrior’s Song and
this next song that we are going to
do is a Celebration Song as we are
celebrating all of us coming here
together. We’re very happy that
everybody is here.”
See POWWOW
continued on page 19
Above, Ila Mercier participates
in an InterTribal dance during
the 2016 Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde Contest Powwow
held at Uyxat Powwow Grounds
on Friday, Aug. 19.
The newly
named
2016-17
Grand
Ronde Royalty, from left, Little
Miss Grand Ronde Kaleigha
Simi, Honorary Tiny Tot Taylor
Ruggles, Little Miss Grand
Ronde Princess Sophia Grout,
Junior Miss Grand Ronde
Isabelle Grout and Senior Miss
Grand Ronde Iyana Holmes
take their honor dance after
coronation, which took place
before the start of the 2016
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde Contest Powwow held
at Uyxat Powwow Grounds on
Friday, Aug. 19.