Milk River Indian Days are set for next week

The 53rd Annual Milk River Indian Days at Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is gearing up for the weekend of July 28-30, but even before the opening grand entry next Friday, different tribal organizations will be hosting events for a youth day Thursday and an ultimate warrior-like challenge for adults Wednesday.

This powwow is a big celebration for the reservation and the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes and the weekend should be a big one because no other powwows will be conflicting with theirs, said co-organizer Myron Hoops, and organizers bringing back a special contest.

“We’re going to have a good turn out this year. We’re going to expect 300 to 400 dancers to be competing, and then we’re going to have a singing contest for the first time in a long time this year and we’re going to have a good turnout,” Hoops said.

The powwow draws in dancers, singers and drums from all over the northern tier of the U.S. down to Oklahoma and north into Canada.

The main event for weekend is the powwow which has four grand entries starting with one at 3 p.m. Friday, two Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and one Sunday at 1 p.m. The powwow grounds are located off Highway 66, about a half-mile south of the agency and U.S. Highway 2 near the reservation’s Half Town area.

“The grand entry goes back to the old Wild West days,” Hoops said, and it brings all the dancers in full regalia into the powwow grounds in a combination dance and parade to start off each of the four rounds of powwow.

Premiere announcers Tommy Christian and Howie Thomson will be the voices of the powwow this year, Hoops said.

The celebration will combine culture and competition with categories for everyone from golden age dancers to tiny tots.

Men’s and women’s golden age categories for dancers 55 and older and men’s and women’s categories for those 18 to 54 will dance men’s grass, fancy, traditional and chicken dances and women’s jingle, fancy and traditional dances.

Teen boys and girls, junior boys and girls and tiny tots will will dance the same style categories.

Top placers in each category win cash prizes.

At least 10 specials, or special dances, will be sponsored by families in honor of loved ones, and more people have been calling in to sponsor others, Hoops said Thursday.

While the drums for the powwow are all local, singers will be coming in for a three-day competition as well, Hoops said, This is the first singing competition to be held in a few years.

Along with cash prizes that start at $4,000, the singers who place will each receive a coat, but the singer who comes out on top will also earn a drum made by this year’s drum keeper Jon Stiffarm, Hoops added.

Youth day Thursday is all about bringing children into the celebration and giving them something to do that is culturally relevant, he said.

“It’s always good to have something for youth — we like to showcase our youth on Fort Belknap,” he said.

The Youth Ultimate Health Challenge race that starts at 8 a.m. will include sections of swimming, running, biking, rowing and horseback riding, Hoops said. This is followed by a youth-only parade at 1 p.m., a feed at 5 p.m. and a youth powwow at 6 p.m. at the powwow grounds.

Other events include an Adult Ultimate Health Challenge at 8 a.m. Wednesday, a parade Friday at 11 a.m. and the Mosquito Run cross-country race Saturday at 9 a.m.