Red Lake and Ponemah Pow Wow arenas need expanding

By Michael Barrett

Freelance Writer

            At the September 9, 2003, Regular Tribal Council meeting, held at Tribal Headquarters in Red Lake, Treasurer Seki commented that the budget for the dancers at the Ponemah Labor Day Traditional Powwow was originally $25,000, however they paid out over $35,000, $10,000 more than what was originally budgeted.

            However, they used other items within the budget to cover the added expenses and still ended up with a positive balance.

            The reason for paying out more money to dancers was because there were ‘more’ dancers than originally anticipated. In fact, on the first night of the powwow, Friday, August 29, 2003, there were about 400 dancers participating.

            Six Grand Entries were scheduled for the 4-day Labor Day Powwow, with the first that Friday, two on Saturday and Sunday, and the final one on Monday, September 1. About 600 dancers participated in the Saturday and Sunday events.

            If you’ve been to the Ponemah Labor Day Celebration in the past ten years, you would have certainly noticed how it has changed. It is better organized now, more activities are scheduled, and more and more dancers and spectators are filling up the arena.

            Some people have said that in order for a powwow to bring in large crowds and dancers, you had to have a contest powwow and offer a lot of money in those contests. That isn’t the case in Ponemah, as their powwow continues to grow and it has always been a traditional powwow.

            And that makes a lot of sense in many ways, since a contest powwow pays out large sums of money to just a few dancers, while a traditional powwow pays out less money but many more dancers receive a share of it.

            So with the Ponemah Labor Day Powwow continuing to grow, it came as no surprise when Ponemah Representative Clifford Hardy reported to the Council the need for an arena expansion.

            Ponemah’s arena has just 4 rows of seating area that go in a circle around the ring, with an estimated seating capacity of about 400. With more spectators than dancers, people have began setting up rows of lawn chairs right in the dancing arena area. Last year there were about two rows within the ring, but this year there were three, which allows less of a dancing area because of that.

            Then there are those who now bring large umbrellas to shade themselves during the day, which makes it very difficult for others to have a clear view in back of the umbrellas. Some dancers and spectators have also placed their folding chairs directly in front of the first row of seats in the arena, eliminating one entire row of seating because of that.

            And because there were three–sometimes four–rows of folding chairs right inside the dancing arena, that meant more people standing up, weaving through those folding chairs to get to them or to get to the bleachers, and that blocked the view of those sitting in the stands.

            “So we’re going to go through Richard Borgstrom to see what it’s going to cost to expand the arena...” Rep. Hardy told the Council.

            Hardy added that he would be coming back to them for funds for the expansion once the costs was determined.

            The powwow arena in Red Lake also needs modifications to make it better. For one thing, many people say it is too steep and dangerous for everyone, and more so for the elders. People have said that one of the main reasons they do not attend the powwows in Red Lake is because of the arena.

            People say they have a hard time walking up the steep steps to a seat, there is absolutely no shade cover during the day, and now people inside the dancing arena are setting up huge canvases and umbrellas for shade, which also block spectators behind them and force them to find other seating.

            One portable shade area at the Red Lake Fair and Powwow went as high as three rows of seats up this year, where their canvas was tied down and it took away three rows of lower seating for others. And when the sun went down–which one assumed was the reason for the portable structure to begin with–it wasn’t taken down until the powwow was wrapping up for the night.

            There were at least 4 or 5 of those types of structures which blocked the full view of spectators behind them, along with some oversized umbrellas as well. And with more and more people setting up folding chairs in the dance arena, they take away more room for dancers and drummers.

            With the Red Lake Independence Day Powwow and the Red Lake Fair and Powwow very successful in 2003–there was no July powwow in Red Lake in 2002–Red Lake’s powwows appear to be coming back at full throttle as well.

            Perhaps now is the time to think about expanding and modifying both arenas to accommodate everyone....