Sweetgrass Society Powwow kicks off tonight at Northern

The 39th annual Sweetgrass Society Powwow’s grand entry begins tonight at the Montana State University-Northern Armory Gymnasium.

The adviser for the Sweetgrass Society, Jamie Underwood, said this is the biggest event of the year for the club and one of the biggest for the university.

“This has been an ongoing tradition at Northern for a long time,” Underwood said.

The Sweetgrass Society is a Native American club at Northern that has roots back to the 1960s and has been a force on campus for just as long.

“We win the most points for having the most active club on campus,” Underwood said. “The powwow is the club’s biggest event for the entire year. The powwow is important because it brings everyone on campus together.”

In addition to the campus, it also brings dancers, families and spectators from tribes across North America to Havre.

The first grand entry of the powwow is at 7 tonight and Saturday’s is at 1 p.m. Each night, they will try to close the doors at midnight.

“It’s a two-day event,” Underwood said. “It has a great deal of support. It’s something that’s enjoyed by everyone. It’s a very family-oriented event.”

Those wishing to participate in the powwow need not pre-register. They may simply show up. People will be let in while the powwow organizers set up from 4 to 5 p.m. today, but registration will not begin until after the set up is finished.

The powwow is free to the public. There will be vendors selling food and wares, and the concession stand at the gymnasium will also be open.

MSU-Northern Interim Chancellor Greg Kegel will be the keynote speaker for the opening ceremony tonight and Provost William Rugg will speak for Saturday’s competition. The Rocky Boy Honor Guard will be attending the opening ceremonies and those participating and spectating are invited to dance the communal round dances that will be held each day.

The final rounds of the event will be after the dinner break, which should be around 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday. After the final rounds, the winners from each of the categories will be announced and prizes awarded to them.