Historian

Pow-wow draws thousands
Hundreds of dancers as event returns to three-day format
Native American Times - 24 July 2006
http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp...rticle_id=8029

TULSA, OK -- Organizers of the Tulsa Pow-Wow (held on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd July 2006) say that thousands of people walked through the doors of the Tulsa Convention Center this weekend looking for a dose of culture and fun.

“Based on paid receipts, we had five thousand people at least,” Robbie Anquoe told the Native American Times Monday morning, just hours after the annual event drew to a close.

A large number of dancers meant pow wow goers were not disappointed when they stepped inside, he said.

“We had 250 registered dancers, which is very good,” Anquoe said, adding that another 300 dancers were also present.

This year also saw the event return to a three-day format, after several years of one-day dances.

Tycilla Smith, United Keetoowah/ Absentee Shawnee/ Choctaw/ Muskogee Creek, was this year’s princess. The 15-year-old attends Sequoyah High School, likes to stomp dance, is a member of the Cherokee Choir and is a honor student with a 3.74 grade point average.

Champion fancy dancer Randy Moore was Head Man Dancer. Moore is Osage, Pawnee, and Otoe-Missouri. Head Lady Dancer was Margo Gray, an Osage from Tulsa. Head Singer was Don Patterson, the former chairman of the Tonkawa Tribe. Sammy "Tonkekei" White, Kiowa, handled the microphone. Host Northern Drum was the Tulsa based Redland Singers. The Mvskokee Nation Honor Guard provided the Color Guard.

The arena rested in the hands of Randy Frazier, Pawnee/Otoe-Missouri/ and Sac & Fox, and Phil Gover, Pawnee and Choctaw.

Horizon Engineering, Lyon’s Indian Store, Native American Times, Indian Health Resource Center, Tulsa Creek Indian Community Center, Sac & Fox Casino, Native News Today and Nordam Group sponsored the dance. The Tulsa Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino sponsored this year’s Jr. and Sr. Straight Dance contest.

The event is put on by the Tulsa Indian Club Inc., and was co hosted by the Tulsa Native Network. Network members include the American Indian Heritage Center, Thunder Road Theater Co. and the Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism.

NAT Article#: 8029

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"Be good, be kind, help each other. Respect the ground, respect the drum, respect each other."
--Abe Conklin, Ponca/Osage (1926-1995)