Native events to watch for as part of 50th anniversary of Expo ‘74

Like the original Expo ’74, tribes have united to organize events that are open to the public as Spokane celebrates Expo’s 50th anniversary.

Tribal members from local tribal and urban Native communities have been gathering for months to organize events for the tribal pillar events of the celebration.

The city of Spokane hired Matt Santangelo and Kelly Brown, in partnership with the Innovia Foundation, to work with tribal organizers and others to plan events for the five pillars: Arts and Culture, Sports and Recreation, the Environment, Legacy and Tribal. All events during the eight-week run will be free and open to the public.

Tribal organizers, such as Bobbie White from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Dave Madera of Spokane, Sky Pagaling of Kalispel and other tribal citizens from many different tribes, like Colville, Gros Ventre and Blackfeet, are working to plan events. We are receiving support from local tribes, the city of Spokane, Innovia, Empire Health Foundation, Spokane Falls Community College and urban Native programs.

We have a good number of young Native people from the local tribes and colleges who are stepping up to help organize and plan these events. We could not be more pleased to share the intertribal cooperation that is going on behind the scenes.

At the opening ceremonies on May 4, our young tribal singers of the Colville Peak drum group sang songs at the main stage. Warren Seyler, tribal historian spoke to the history of tribal relations in Spokane and how Expo ’74 gave tribal citizens an opportunity to share our history and culture. The opening procession was led by tribal veterans carrying flags and the eagle staff, followed by tribal members in regalia from Spokane and Coeur d’Alene tribes.

The biggest Expo event will be the Expo Powwow at the Spokane Convention Center on Saturday and May 26. Doors open at 10 a.m. with grand entry at noon to 5 p.m., followed by a dinner break and another grand entry from 6 to 11 p.m. both Saturday and May 26. There will be hundreds of dancers dressed in their traditional tribal regalia and drums from across the United States coming to Spokane. Top drum groups like Show Time will be traveling from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and across the region. Contest dancers will be competing in dance categories such as Fancy, Jingle, Traditional and the Grass dance. Local tribal dancers are holding specials such as Junior Girls Jingle dress special and Young Warriors’ Dance Battle. Saturday evening there will also be a war bonnet, “Feathered Headdress and Straight-Up Headdress” special by Dave BrownEagle. The powwow committee will be holding a basket hat special and a Men’s Prairie Chicken special hosted by SFCC’s Red Nations.

Throughout the weekend visitors will witness tribal cultural education displays set up at Convention Center in Bay A. Culture programs and tribal enterprises will be setting up displays for tribal first foods, housing, language. This will include a tepee, Tule mat lodge along with Salishan sturgeon nose canoe. Over 60 arts and crafts vendors will be selling tribal art, beadwork and crafts Saturday and Sunday at the powwow.

On June 13, at the U.S. Pavilion in Riverfront Park, there will be a Native music concert that is free and open to the public. Colville tribal performers Issac Tonasket and Tony Louie, a Native American Music Award-winning artist, will be performing.

Also on June 14, there will be a Native theater group called Red Eagle Soaring coming from Seattle to perform at Spokane Community College on June 14.

As a tribute to the environmental theme of Expo ’74, tribes will be partnering with the Environmental Pillar for the June 21 Environmental Legislative Summit at the Convention Center. The Legislative summit starts at 8 a.m. with tribal youth dancers, prayer and land acknowledgment. Local environmental groups, state legislators and local community members will discuss environmental legislation. There will be a traditional tribal salmon ceremony at noon and at 4 p.m. there will be canoe races. There will be a community salmon/buffalo dinner at the Forestry shelter in Riverfront Park.

Rounding out the events will be a Native and Environmental Film Festival at Garland Theater on June 28 and 29, showing Native films such as “Smoke Signals,” “Inhabitants” and other short films.

There will also be tribal spoken word events throughout the eight weeks. Indigenous poetry and native authors will participate at the community stage with readings, leading up to hand drum battle on June 22. Please see Visit Spokane’s Expo 50 website or Facebook page for dates and times.

Margo Hill is a Spokane Tribe citizen, EWU Urban Planning professor and chair of the Tribal Pillar Expo events.