Gathering of All Nations

April 23-27, 2025                                                          Most Recent Posts:
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Albuquerque, New Mexico

The last week-end in April I attended North America’s Largest Pow Wow, the Gathering of All Nations held on the Pow Wow grounds at Expo NM in Albuquerque.    It is a BIG event.

It has taken me over 2 weeks from my previous post to get this blog done because I have so many pictures and videos to go through to try to make this post a reasonable size and to explain at least some of what I know about what I saw.   Any mistakes in information are unintentional.   

To say it was an amazing experience would be a serious understatement.

The Pow Wow Weekend began on Thursday with the Miss Indian World cultural presentations. 

The contestants must display a profound knowledge of their tribe’s traditions, history, ancestors and culture. 

The pageant is for  young unmarried Native American to women showcase their talents and cultural knowledge.  Each of these women was chosen by her tribe and submitted a detailed application before being selected for the competition.

Over 5 days before and during the Gathering weekend they are judged on public speaking, traditional talent, interviews, essays and dance.  

The young woman below was from the Seminole Tribe in Florida.  I was seated next to her very proud and anxious mother.

Each of the 23 contestants for this year gave a short presentation related the their tribe’s cultural traditions.

Miss Indian world is a cultural ambassador representing Native American Culture at events and gatherings around the world throughout the year.  The title is extremely prestigious.

 

After Thursday evenings presentations, Friday and Saturday were full Pow Wow Days.  That means 10 in the morning until 11 at night on Friday and 10 in the morning until 1am in Saturday.  I did not stay that late either night.

I have combined my two days of pictures and videos here to tell the story of the Pow Wow from the beginning when I walked into the arena on Friday through after dark on Saturday when I reluctantly left.   I would have loved it even more had the Pow Wow, like most, been held outdoors but I understand that an indoor arena is necessary with such a huge gathering subject to the whims of the weather.

The announcer is the voice of the pow wow. It is their job to keep the singers, dancers, and public informed as to what is happening.   He sets the schedule of events and maintains the drum rotation, or order of when each drum group gets to play and sing.  He keeps things as close to on schedule and moving along as possible and does it with humor.

The Pow Wow begins each day and each session with the Grand Entry.  The Eagle Staff is the first to enter the arena carried by a veteran.

The Eagle Staff was followed by Miss Indian America 2024-25 Kassie Johns a Diné (Navajo) woman from Rock Point, Arizona.

Following Miss Indian America were the flag carriers, also veterans bringing the National Flag, the State Flag and the Pow Wow Flag perhaps among others I’m not sure.   This is the only picture of the Pow Wow Flag I could get as I came back on the second day and it was flying outside the entrance.

 

They are followed by the Head Woman in blue and  the Head Man dancer to her right in yellow.  As you can see they are not walking but dancing as are all those who follow them.  

To be a head dancer at the Gathering is a unique honor and responsibility.  They are role models to follow and expert dancers who are the first to begin each dance in their style.   As far as I could tell they are the only ones to dance a solo.   All other dancers are part of their style event competition.

To see a video of part of the Head Male dancer’s solo use this link.

I’m not sure what the protocol is for the rest of the dancers to proceed into the Pow Wow Grand Entry.  The entire process takes nearly an hour at this large Gathering.  Most of these dancers are in the competition for their dance style.  Imagine dancing in increasingly small circles for an hour.  Constantly dancing.   I was amazed at the stamina of the dancers.

The music for the Grand Entry is provided by the Host Drum picked by The Pow Wow Committee.  They are the invited drum of choice.  Not sure if they compete in the drum competition but they are called on throughout the Pow Wow to play for competition dances.   The announcer calls different drum groups and singers to play for the separate competitions.  The drums and singers are also being judged.  There is some nice prize monies for winning any of these competitions.

Following what appear to be elder dancers in the picture below are the contestants for Miss Indian World waving.

Despite the people who walk in front of my attempt to take a video of the Grand Entry,  I think you can get a better feel for it than the pictures alone give.
Use this link to watch.

You can see the Eagle Staff and Miss Indian World, Kassie Johns, in the center as the dancers and the Miss Indian World contestants circle around them.

Can you still see the Eagle Staff as the arena fills with dancers?

How about now?

I have dozens of close up pictures of the dancers in their splendid colorful regalia.  How they can all be dancing so close to each other as the Grand Entry goes around and around filling the arena is incredible.

It’s a blaze of color an overdose for the eyes.

The view from my seat.

Once every one is on the floor the Eagle Staff Honor song will be played.  Then a Flag Honor song, the equivalent of the national anthem, and an invocation.   At that point the Eagle Staff, always placed above the other flags as a symbol of the First Nation, will be tied to a pole or brought to the announcer’s stand.

Miss Indian World for 2024-25 was Kassie Johns a Diné  (Navajo) woman from Rock Point, Arizona.  The crowd brought down the house for her when she paraded in and after her farewell address.

Everyone showing respect for Miss Indian World.  

After the Grand Entry concludes, the contest dancing begins. 

There can be as many as 36 categories of dance style and age competition.  Tiny tots (0-6) dance any style, as do Elders 70+ though both dance by male and female groups not together.  Otherwise each style and age is a separate category.  To greatly simplify, men’s dances are primarily Traditional, Grass Dance and Fancy Dance.   Women’s dances are Traditional, Fancy Shawl and Jingle

The age groups are 0-6, Juniors 7-12, Teens 13-18, Adults 19-54,  Golden age 55-69 and Elders 70+.

Passing on traditions is extremely important and these young dancers are started early.  In the 0-6 age group parents accompany the youngest whose regalia is no less fantastic.

Many of my pictures are blurry because of the movement going on.  Dancers are seldom still.

Most of these dancers appear to be 5 or 6.  The girl on the far left is a Jingle Dancer.   Her metal cones are sewn into her dress and make “music” when she dances.   In older dancers there are hundreds of cones on the dress.

An even younger jingle dancer with her dance entry number on her back.

These are the young Fancy Shawl dancers I’m assuming in the 7-12 age group.

My favorite little Fancy Shawl dancer.  She was quite good and can’t be more than 7.   Notice her beautiful fan as she stands in the correct finishing position for the last drum beat.   There are specific qualities and rules each dancer is judged on.  Finishing exactly on the last beat in the proper position is one of them.

Not sure why this picture is slightly blurry but I wanted to show the intricacy of the bead work on her regalia.

To see a video of the Teen Girls Fancy Shawl, Click Here.    You’ll also hear the voice of the announcer.

Junior Girls Jingle dancers ages 7-12

This video is of the Teen Girls Jingle Dancers. 

Junior Boys Traditional Dancers  ages 7-12

Teen Boys Grass Dance Video.  Use this link.

This was my seat for watching the contests and this contestant was sitting in front of me until her age and category was called.  The bead work is just so incredible. 

As you have seen, my seat enabled people to walk in front of me as I was videoing the dancing.

The competition dancing went on from 1:00  in the afternoon until 11:00 at night on Friday and until 10:30 on Saturday. There was an afternoon session and an evening session.

On Saturday the awards followed until the Pow Wow concluded at 1 am.  There were many age groups I did not get to see as well as whether my favorite little shawl dancer won because I didn’t want to drive back to Enchanted Trails after dark.

At 4:00 both days there was a Traditional Horse and Rider Parade outside on the Pow Wow Grounds.

Although the feathered headdress has almost become synonymous with Native Americans, in fact, only the Plains Indians wore them.

The parade concluded with a wagon and the 23 Miss Indian World contestants.

The outside Pow Wow grounds also had vendors in a circle with the Tipi Frame in the center.   In addition to food, there was everything imaginable for sale.  Books, beads, ribbons and everything needed for making regalia, boots, official Gathering T Shirts, baskets, pottery and on and on.

I spent only the time to see the parade and get something to eat before heading back inside.

Loved the sign hanging from this Lemonade vendor’s tent.

it made me laugh out loud when I saw it.

The thing I always eat at a Pow Wow is an Indian Taco.  That’s fry bread with toppings.

The evening events begin again with the Grand Entry.   Following that were several dance competitions for older contestants.

Jingle Dancers.

The Fancy Dancers are my favorites.  Men’s Fancy below and Women’s Fancy Shawl.

The women seem like beautiful butterflies swirling through the air.

On Friday I did not stay for the evening competitions.  I was tired, it was late, it would be dark.   But on Saturday I really wanted to see the crowning of Miss Indian World so I was willing to drive home in the dark for it.

After several dance contests, the contestants for Miss Indian World parade onto the floor.

The announcement of the individual awards for the categories on which the contestants were judged: Public Speaking, Traditional Talent, Best Dancer, Best Personal Interview, and Best Essay were made and the winners recognized.  

Then the 2nd Runner Up Niagara Rockbridge representing the Navajo Nation from Pinon, Arizona also won the Best Personal Interview Award.

The 1st Runner Up who would take over for Miss Indian World should she not be able to complete her year was Kegona Tenaco, who is from the Anishinabe (Algonquin) Kitigan Zibi nation in Quebec Canada.

And Finally, Dania Wahwasuck was crowned Miss Indian World 2025-26.

She is 24 years old and a Prairie Band Potawatomi and Pyramid Lake Paiute from Mayetta, Kansas. She is a student at the University of Kansas.   She also won the Best Dancer and Best Essay Awards.

The first runner up is to Miss Indian World;s right and the 2nd runner up to her left as they lead an honor song dance.   They appear almost overwhelmed with the large awards and flowers.

Miss Indian World’s family follows as the Host Drum plays the honor song.

And that was the end of the Gathering for me but the official end was not until 1am. 

There were more competitions before the final contest awards were given.  I wondered why the Golden Age (55-69) and Elders (70+) dance competitions were  at the very end of each day.  Don’t they know Elders go to bed early?   I really would liked to have stayed for those dance competitions and to see if my little Fancy Shawl dancer won but I was exhausted

It’s been an amazing week-end and full to overflowing with sights and sounds.
You really do have to see it to believe it. I am SO glad I planned my trip west around it.

If only David could have been here, it would have been perfect.