ENTERTAINMENT

Browning ready to celebrate 65th North American Indian Days

Jo Dee Black
jblack@greatfallstribune.com

BROWNING – The 65th annual North American Indian Days in Browning is a multi-day celebration with powwow activities, dancing, a parade, rodeo and more.

The events draw international participants with up to 1,500 dancers from across the country and Canada arriving to participate in powwow, said Elma Carlson, who is a coordinator for North American Indian Days, along with James McNeely and Marilyn Parsons.

A youth rodeo kicks off the week Wednesday, July 6, at 10 a.m. at Charging Home Stampede Park. Events are for every age, with a stick horse division, barrels, goat tail tying and more. There is also mini bull riding, a mini buckers competition and youth Indian relay races, which starts at 5 p.m.

Indian relay races are planned Wednesday through Saturday, from 5 to 8 p.m. each day at the Charging Home Stampede Park.

Thursday, July 7, the Chairman’s Prayer Breakfast is at 8 a.m. at the North American Indian Days Arbor.

The drum roll call is at 6:45 p.m. July 7, with the first grand entry at 7 p.m. at the NAID Arbor.

Events on Friday, July 8, begin at 12:45 p.m. with the drum roll call and the second grand entry at 1 p.m., followed by several family giveaways, the crowning of Miss Blackfeet, North American Indian Days Princess, and Tiny Tot Princess at 4:30 p.m. and another grand entry at 7 p.m.

There is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament Friday, July 8, organized by the Suicide Prevention Program.

NAID Princess 2015-2016 Dulci Skunkcap will be honored at 8 p.m. Dancing continues late into the night with junior, teen, senior and intertribal dancing lasting until midnight.

The North American Indian Days parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 11, a long event that typically lasts until 12:30 p.m. The action then shifts back to the powwow, with the grand entry at 2 p.m.

Saturday includes more dancing and giveaways in to the late evening.

Sunday, July 12, there is a 9 a.m. breakfast feed for Eva Joy Tail. A Catholic mass is at 10 a.m. at the Arbor and grand entry is at 1 p.m. The final grand entry for the 65th celebration is at 7 p.m.

Top-notch dancers come to the powwow, which is one of the largest in North America.

Expect to see children and adults dancing in fancy, grass, jingle, chicken, traditional and warbonnet styles.

Photos can be taken if spectators pay a small fee.

High Noon from Canada is this year’s host drum and Ken Scabby Robe, Jason Good Striker and Russell Red Crow are this year’s announcers. Wind Dancer Tunes is in charge of the sound system.

Cash prizes and specials and giveaways in the powwow draw top talented dancers. A drum contest among the drum groups also will take place.

The NAID Rodeo is planned for Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Charging Home Stampede Park.

Glacier Peaks Casino will be open and holding its Indian Days Bingo.

Spectators come from across the country and Canada and even Europe. For Native Americans taking part in the powwow, the event is about meeting old friends.

“A lot of the people have families who come from the different tribes. It’s a time to get together and visit friends and family,” Carlson said.

North American Indian Days

Where: Browning

When: July 6-10

For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/North-American-Indian-Days-105913466152767/info/?entry_point=page_nav_about_item&tab=overview or call 406-338-7103.