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S moke S ignals
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Contest Powwow not eclipsed
Everything aligns to create ‘tremendous’ three-day event
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Halona Butler, left, and Washie Squetimkin (Colville) dance with their daughter Willow Squetimkin during Willow’s coming out during the 2017
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Contest Powwow held at Uyxat Powwow Grounds on Friday, Aug. 18.
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
M
aybe it was the total solar
eclipse occurring on Mon-
day, Aug. 21. Or perhaps
it was the fact that there were no
competing powwows in the Pacific
Northwest.
Or it could have been the presence
of renowned host drum Blackstone.
Or you could even chalk it up to
the separation of the adult dance
categories into junior and senior
divisions that increased the total
prize money available to $49,400.
Or, possibly, the 80-degree weath-
er that was much more amenable
than last year’s triple-digit tem-
peratures.
Whatever the reason or reasons,
the 2017 Grand Ronde Contest
Powwow was one of the best attend-
ed in recent memory.
“This is our biggest Friday night
ever,” Powwow Special Event Board
Chair Dana Ainam said during the
7 p.m. grand entry on Friday, Aug.
18.
There were so many dancers at
Uyxat Powwow Grounds for the
Friday evening grand entry that
it took approximately 20 minutes
for them all to enter the Arbor and
form three concentric circles.
In all, 275 dancers registered to
compete in the Contest Powwow’s
26 dance categories. Less than 200
dancers registered in 2016.
Grand Ronde dancers won three
prizes, led by Leah Villa taking first
place in the Junior Adult Womens
Traditional category.
“It was an amazing weekend,”
Ainam said. “We were prepared
for the eclipse impact, but luckily
didn’t have to put plans into action.
My gratitude goes to the hard work
and support of the Powwow Com-
mittee, work crew and many of
our Tribal staff and programs that
made the weekend flow smoothly
and a tremendous success.”
Royalty Pageant
Contest Powwow weekend activ-
ities started at 2 p.m. Thursday,
Aug. 17, with the Royalty Pageant
held in the Atrium in the Gover-
nance Center.
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George was the master of ceremo-
nies and Tribal Council Vice Chair
Cheryle A. Kennedy gave the open-
ing prayer.
Royalty Pageant judges were
Tribal Council member Brenda
Tuomi, Spirit Mountain Casino
Marketing Director Shawna Ridge-
bear and Tianna Clark.
The only contested position on
Royalty was for Senior Miss Grand
Ronde with Kailiyah Krehbiel and
Isabelle Grout vying for the po-
sition. Junior Miss Grand Ronde
Kaleigha Simi, Little Miss Grand
Ronde Sophia Grout, honorary
Tiny Tot Jameson Turner and
Grand Ronde Warrior Naco-
ma Liebelt were unopposed.
On Friday, Aug. 18, Grout
was crowned Senior Miss
Grand Ronde at Uyxat Pow-
wow Grounds’ Arbor after
See POWWOW
continued on page 9
Eva Rose Jurado jingle dress
dances during the “School
Is Cool” K-12 Dance Special
during the 2017 Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde
Contest Powwow held at
Uyxat Powwow Grounds on
Saturday, Aug. 19.