Northern Sweetgrass Society holding annual powwow

American Indian culture will be on display this weekend as Montana State University-Northern hosts its 43rd annual Sweetgrass Society Powwow Friday and Saturday.

The powwow will take place in the campus’ Armory Gymnasium, opening with a grand entry at 7 p.m. Friday. Subsequent grand entries are on Saturday at noon and 7 p.m.

The powwow has deep meaning for the American Indian community. As always there will be dancing, drumming and other displays of culture celebration.

Vendors will be selling American Indian arts and crafts, as well as bead work and other supplies. Information booths will be set up to distribute information about issues of importance within Indian Country.

The main dance categories will be traditional, grass, fancy and chicken for men, teens and junior boys, and traditional, jingle and fancy for women, teens and junior girls, as well as golden age and tiny tots dances. The event will also feature specials, including a men’s chicken dance, the fifth annual hand drum contest, an old style women’s and junior girl’s jingle dance and an owl dance.

The goal of MSU-N’s Sweetgrass Society “is to unify and provide for communication among Native American students, to foster a strong sense of cultural identity and to promote activities that bridge Montana State University-Northern with the community of Havre and its Native American residents,” Sweetgrass Society advisor Erica McKeon-Hanson said.