Wakalapi

I'll start out by saying the usual things were good about this powwow: the drums and the dancers. It's them that ultimately make or break a powwow, for the most part. There were some really great specials and the dancers really put up a good competition. The weather was mild, and it was not unbearably hot inside the Pavillion.

The new committee's treasurer "forgot" about drum pay for non-contest drums. After waiting through the trudgery of the usual winners' lists and other announcements, even a brief recitation of the contents of the lost and found box, even the statement, "this now concludes the 2006 Treaty Days Powwow", watching volunteers start mopping floors and folding up chairs; several drum groups by then packed but still on station, still waiting and hoping for a bread crumb on which to get home to Canada, Colville, Umatilla and points beyond. We're a local group, it doesn't really hurt us if this powwow turned out to be volunteer singing; but cripes some of these dudes came in multiple car loads from hundreds of miles away at over $3.00 per gallon. The powwow committee finally took a list of names and addresses and promised to send a check!

I'm not holding my breath...

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