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Standing Arrow Powwow was just right

By B.L. Azure

Arlee Celebration Young Warrior Isiah Russell (center) joined in on an intertribal dance at the Standing Arrow Powwow. (B.L. Azure photo)

ELMO — The 19th annual Standing Arrow Powwow over the weekend had the feel of a just-the-right-size tribal celebration. It wasn’t too big and it wasn’t too small - it was just right.

And kudos for that should go to the hard working powwow committee who pulled it off with six weeks of hard work. The all-new committee, comprised of Weemus Wilder, Gina Big Beaver, Barbara Caye, Rene Kenmille, Rhoda Couture and Allison Wilder, had just recently been named to replace the previous committee members.

“From what I am hearing from people (is that) this is going well. The dancers, drummers and the people seem to like how we are doing the dances. We have been really consistent about mixing them up, some intertribal, then contest dancing and drumming,” said committee Chairperson Weemus Wilder. “We are very pleased.”

The Standing Arrow Powwow receives some funding from the Tribal Council and raised the rest of the funding needed. And they were under the gun with just six weeks to come up the additional funding. The Tribal Council, Salish Kootenai College and Salish Kootenai Housing Authority were of great assistance, Wilder said. Among other things they provided the powwow committee with a list of vendors the tribal entities do business with. Many of those vendors donated funds and goods to the Standing Arrow Powwow.

Karen Coffey (pink) and her mother Margaret Coffey (buckskin) enjoy an intertribal dance at the Elmo Powwow. (B.L. Azure photos)

“Because of the council, college and housing, and the vendors we were able to offer decent money for the drums and dancers. The vendors that deal with the Tribes donated a lot of money so we could do this. We are thankful because we didn’t have a whole lot of time to fundraise,” Wilder said, adding that other regional powwow celebrations were happening at the same time and many had higher payouts to attract drums and dancers. The price of gasoline and diesel also affected people’s tribal celebration destination choices. “We are pleased that we have some very good drums and dancers that chose to be here with us.”

The Standing Arrow Powwow picked royalty that will reign for a year. Nine-year-old Tyra Wilder was named Lil Miss Kootenai and 14-year-old Jaymie Wilder was named Miss Kootenai.

Wilder said there were a few hitches in the giddy-up. The powwow grounds have seen better days and the electrical set-up was inadequate to handle the load put on it. Breakers would shut down the electrical flow when too much demand was placed on it.

“We didn’t have enough electricity for RVs and for some of the vendors,” Wilder said. “But they were understanding and worked with us to make sure we got electricity to the arbor.”

The committee will be working on upgrading the Standing Arrow Powwow grounds for next year’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Jaymie Wilder, left, was named Miss Kootenai at the Standing Arrow Powwow while her younger sister, Tyra Wilder was tabbed Lil’ Miss Kootenai. (B.L. Azure photo)

“We hope to have a lot of renovations done by next year,” Wilder said. That includes possibly relocation and construction of a new facility with adequate electricity and water lines for RVs and vendors. “We are a very small committee of dedicated people. We all have fulltime jobs and have kids but we are committed to this. We will build on this year’s experience, move forward and get better.”

But in the end it’s the people who determine the success of a celebration. They came, they saw and they participated. And they made the 19th annual Standing Arrow Powwow the place to be on the Flathead Indian Reservation this past weekend.

“I want to thank everybody for coming and helping us celebrate,” Wilder said. “Without them it wouldn’t have been a celebration.”

And it was a just-right celebration.