Milk River Indian days set this week

Editor’s note: This corrects information about Cpl. Charles Ball.

The 54th Annual Milk River Indian Days powwow on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is set for Friday through Sunday with related activities starting Wednesday.

The powwow, which will be held on the powwow grounds at the junction of U.S. Highway 2 and Montana State Highway 66 near the Fort Belknkap Agency, will have grand entries Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. The powwow grounds have a pavilion cover to shield participants and spectators against sun and rain.

This year’s powwow, which is a celebration of culture and a competition, will include several specials along with the regular dance categories that include men’s traditional, grass, fancy, chicken and golden age; women’s traditional, jingle, fancy and golden age; teen and junior boys traditional, grass and fancy; and teen and junior girls traditional, jingle and fancy.

The specials are sponsored dances that honor people and loved ones and occasions, including this year’s men’s traditional special in honor of Cpl. Charles Ball, a WWII veteran who went missing in action or killed in action and body not recovered in the Philippines Campaign of the Southwest Pacific Theatre, which is sponsored by his family member Jay Ball. They celebrate, for example, people who have died, beaten cancer or received an honor of such as the junior girl’s special to honor this year’s Junior Princess Elleonna Azure.

The other Milk River Indian Days royalty are Senior Princess Valene Talks Different and Junior Princess Attendant Shaylee Johnson.

The committee organizing the powwow — Men’s Flag Bearer John Mark Stiffarm, Drum Keeper, Blake Stiffarm, Secretary/Treasurer Blair Doney Johnson, Spoon Keeper Larina Blackbird and Whip Man Conan Cuts the rope — holds a weekly bingo night and other fundraisers throughout the year to pay for the powwow. And specials sponsors often raise money with food sales and raffles throughout the year, as well.

The powwow will also bring in vendors, both local and out of the area, selling food and merchandise.

Along with the dancing, Milk River Indian Days will have a stick game, starting at 6 p.m. Saturday and a singing contest during the powwow, as well as parades and decathlon competitions for both adults and youth and a youth rodeo.

Wednesday starts off with the adult Ultimate Health Challenge at 7 a.m. at the Red Whip Center at Fort Belknap — with five-member, co-ed teams swimming 20 laps at Harlem City Pool, rowing 5 kilometers on a rowing machine, bicycling 3.4 miles, horseback riding 2.5 miles and running 3.4 miles. Registration deadline for the decathlon is 6 p.m. at the Diabetes Prevention Trailer today.

Thursday will see two youth activities starting with the youth Ultimate Health Challenge decathlon at 7 a.m. at Red Whip. The challenge consists of teams swimming 12 laps of Harlem City Pool, rowing 3K, bicycling 2.2 miles, horseback riding 2.5 miles and running 2.2 miles. Registration deadline for the decathlon is 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Diabetes Prevention Trailer.

The youth parade starts Thursday at the airstrip at noon. The parade includes a bike safety session during registration that starts at 10:30 a.m.

Friday begins with the adult parade with signup 9:30 to 11 a.m. and the parade at noon starting at the airstrip.

The youth rodeo will begin at 1 p.m. at the Bell Arena. Registration for this is still open tonight and Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. by calling Jenna Kittson at 353-2831 or 945-1825.