Girls' Shawl Dance

Today was the second day of the 41st Delta Park Pow Wow, a gathering for American Indian people and their friends to sing, dance, and enjoy native culture. It was rainy and cold, but the spirit under the tent was warm and radiant.

The day began with an honor parade for veterans and recognition of families of soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past week. The audience was asked to stand throughout the honor parade and the dances of elder men and women to show respect. There was a booth recruiting people to be foster parents. There were signs all over the area prohibiting alcohol and illegal drugs. And there were more booths than I could count selling frybread.

Most of my pictures are terrible--a combination of my ineptitude (mostly), terrible light under the tent, and distracting backgrounds. But I like the way the fringes on these young girls' shawls danced around them. There are a few more Pow Wow pics here, until I delete them.