Latest news with #GatheringofNations
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miss Indian World is more than a title
Kalle BenallieICT ALBUQUERQUE — Becoming Miss Indian World opens doors. You travel a lot, meet new people and have the chance to represent your tribe and Indigenous people. This year, Dania Wahwasuck, Prairie Band Potawatomi, was crowned Miss Indian World 2025-2026 at the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She said the title isn't about her but representing her people. 'I just want to make my Anishinaabe people proud. I just want to be a positive role model and I just want to be a scrub dancer that other younger scrub dancer girls can look up to. When they announced it, they first announced Prairie Band Potawatomi and that's when I was like, that's me,' the 24-year-old told ICT. The pageant has been taking place for over 40 years at the Gathering of Nations, the self-proclaimed world's largest Native American powwow. Throughout the four-day competition, contestants accumulate points based on: public speaking, traditional talent, interview, essay and dance. Contestants must be of Indigenous descent, single, have no children, never have been married and between the ages of 18 and 25. 'The title of Miss Indian World is iconic and shall always be distinctly a part of the Gathering of Nations, Ltd.,' the Gathering of Nations directors said in a statement. 'We thank Kassie John for fulfilling the role of Miss Indian World 2024-2025. We are proud of all 23 contestants and look forward to working with Dania Wahwasuck this year as she travels Indian Country representing all Native women and the Gathering of Nations organization.'Wahwasuck also won awards for best dance and best essay. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and is currently working on her master's in leadership diversity and inclusion with emphasis on Indigenous studies.'My goal is to uplift and inspire our communities and especially our youth because I believe education is a tool that we can use to combat difficult issues surrounding our communities. I'm really excited to build connections and further build community and talk to all of our youth,' Wahwasuck said. Dakota Brant, Miss Indian World 2010-2011, said she was 14 years old when she saw former Miss Indian World Tia Smith at a local fair. She admired Smith's influence when she walked into the room with leaders going up to shake her hand. Smith held the crown in 2002-2003. 'I had never seen leadership care about youth and youth voice in the way they cared about hers in that moment,' Brant, Mohawk, said. Brant added sometimes Miss Indian World brings people who have never met an Indigenous person together. She said it's an opportunity to educate. 'It is very much a goodwill ambassadorship. It really is a title that bridges cultures,' she said. Brant said after her reign she got her master's in community planning. Today she works as an independent consultant for Indigenous community planning and co-owns a jewelry brand with her sister called Sapling & Flint. Kansas Begaye, Diné, said serving as Miss Indian World 2013-2014 was a lifelong dream. She said it's a role that empowers young Indigenous women and girls. 'It gives us a way to portray our culture and to be able to be involved with it. We are the mothers, the daughters, the sisters, the aunties to everyone during that time. It brings people together in such a harmonious and beautiful way. So I really love to inspire in that type of way,' Begaye said. She said it's also a chance to grow as a person. 'I always say, even the girls that don't place or don't exactly bring home the crown. A lot of them I've seen come into their own way of life after running for Miss Indian world, it kind of opens up their eyes, I feel,' Begaye said. Now Begaye is an inspirational speaker and Native American recording artist. Two years after her reign she was an ambassador from the United States consulate and traveled to Russia where sheI sang at a festival in Yakutsk, Russia. The most recent Miss Indian World Kassie John, Diné, said it's been a whirlwind of a year with teachings she is going to take with her moving forward.'The biggest lesson that I learned this year was just the beauty, the resiliency, the hope that we have as Native people. I'm really thankful that people were willing to teach me and willing to share their cultures, their traditions, and things that make them feel good, that joy,' John said. During her reign John worked full-time at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and she plans to continue that work. 'I'm really excited to really hone in back into the work I do in public health to advance our tribal communities here in a state alongside all of our tribal tribal communities of the surrounding states here in the western part of the United States,' she said. 'It's one of the things that I really enjoyed designing and creating public health campaigns and really centering it on population health with our Native people, especially because we have different ways of how we see wellness and how we maintain our wellbeing.' John is also looking to attend grad school and going on the powwow trail in the summer. Her advice to Wahwasuck is to take time for herself, practice the things that bring her joy, be proud of who she is, and revel in the moment. 'I really wish her the best as she embarks on an incredible year, and I know for me and my family we pray for her safe travels and we are so excited to see her down the powwow trail,' John said. 'To be Miss Indian World, that's something that all of us all Indigenous women carry within themselves because it's a hard job to be an Indigenous woman.'She said it's possible another little girl, like herself, would have been in awe watching the new Miss Indian World. 'Hopefully who knows one of those little girls that was sitting at the crowning this year, who was inspired by Dania, is going to be our next Miss Indian World in the next few years so I'm excited,' John said. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute $5 or $10 today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center holds ‘gourd and round' dance
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) celebrated American Indian Week with a traditional gourd and round dance on Sunday. The dance brings communities together to share traditional songs and stories from the pueblos of New Mexico, as well as allows other Indigenous peoples to share their culture. Miss Indian World contestants at Gathering of Nations compete for prestigious title 'So we have a lot of visitors that come from all over the world, and here at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, we welcome them, we try to teach them about the culture here in New Mexico and the pueblos, but also welcoming them with open arms,' said Director of Guest Serivces with the Indian Pueblo Culture Cemter Monique Silva. Sunday's event was free for museum members. The IPCC holds events like this one throughout the year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gathering of Nations 2025 Day 2
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – This year's Gathering of Nations is on its second day Saturday, with tribes from all across the state coming together to celebrate their cultures. One of Saturday's highlights was the horse and rider regalia parade. Q&A released on potential changes coming to New Mexico State Fairgrounds 'Throughout Indian Country, they tell us that our horse is part of us, it's part of our history. It became so much a part of us that we adopt them as our brothers, as our sisters. There are many stories that go along with this. We're deeply involved with the spirit of this horse. They tell us that a horse will lead us to something good. Whether it's food or a good place to camp, or something worthy, so we trust in our brother horse,' a speaker at the event said. The gathering started Friday morning at Expo New Mexico and is closing Saturday at midnight with the conclusion of the year's final performance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'You just feel it': Gathering of Nations, the largest powwow in North America, hits its stride in Duke City
ALBUQUERQUE — The heat and rhythmic intensity of the collection of dancers spinning, stopping, flinging legs had Liam Beebe of Washington sweating in his orange regalia as he walked from the powwow floor, the drum still pounding a war beat in his ears. A member of the Blood Tribe, also known as Kainai Nation, the 16-year-old practices ahead of the Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque each year, studying the songs and refining his moves. "It's a war dance — I like that it's fast," Beebe said. "It gets my adrenaline going." Touted as the largest powwow in North America, Gathering of Nations has been underway since Thursday but ramped up Friday as thousands flooded into Expo New Mexico, the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque, for a weekend of festivities, including parades, music and dance performances and the Miss Indian World Contest. Noon marked the Grand Entry, the first real act Friday, when Indigenous dancers from around the U.S., wearing regalia displaying their tribal ties and cultural backgrounds, entered the high-profile powwow, moving to the dance floor with flourish as the arena of spectators roared and cameras flashed. A series of dance competitions followed. Inside the arena before the entry, dancers were preparing bustles and other attire ahead of the dancing scheduled Friday afternoon and evening — some with a long history of attending the powwow that first began about 40 years ago. Today's Gathering of Nations looks a little different than those early years, which started with the first 'unofficial' event at the University of New Mexico in 1983. Attendees now come from not just North America but around the world. Seated in the dimly lit arena at Expo New Mexico, Sage Fast Dog's hands worked over a bustle crafted with intricate black-blue beadwork and topped with golden eagle feathers. He tightened the garment to ensure his son would not have to fear it slipping off amid the dance. "The feathers that we wear come from a bird that is sacred to us," said Fast Dog, a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe in South Dakota. "We teach our kids that so they don't disrespect these feathers. It's one of the reasons we are able to carry them in the United States — because it is a part of our ceremonies." Indigenous Americans who attend the gathering say they come for the unity, pride and sense of community that characterizes the powwow. The seizure of Native land by the U.S. government and forced migration resulted in intertribal exchange, and powwows became more popular in the 20th century as a means of Native expression and celebration. "We all come together," said Malcolm Duncan, who is Navajo and lives in Shiprock. "It's amazing to see how we are all connected, even though we are thousands of miles away." More moves, more footwork Some of the best Indigenous dancers in the U.S. and Canada showcase their footwork during the Gathering of Nations, ensuring competition is always high. Rod Begay, of Yakama Nation in Washington, has been judging powwows since the 1980s and said this is a big stage. "Maybe a dancer has more moves, more spins, more footwork. Those are the things you pay attention to," said Begay, ahead of judging a teen girl's fancy dance. Duncan began dancing when he was 5 or 6 and feels the preservation of traditions and culture is paramount, especially as he watches his own children dancing. He wore white warpaint on his face from nose down across about half his face Friday; six black lines painted to represent the six mountains that are sacred to the Navajo. "One thing I was always taught was, 'You are your grandfather's prayer,' " Duncan said. "Now I understand it because I know my grandfather prayed for me to keep the tradition going. I see it now when I see my kids dancing." The term 'powwow' derives from Pau Wau, meaning 'medicine man' in Narrtick, a language spoken by the Algonquian peoples in Massachusetts, according to the Smithsonian. On display Friday were the differing beats of the drum competitions, dozens of dancing categories, the roving performers of traditional dances. Tiffani Warner, of Winnebago Tribe in Nebraska, does the Ho-Chunk Applique dance for those who cannot move themselves, as it is known as a healing dance. Jangling the bones and shells hung around her neck, Warner moved to the beat of the drum with her feet together, illustrating the style. "It's scary times, you know," Warner said. "You've just got to help everybody, be kind." 'Just a good feeling' Positioned in a circle pounding a large drum covered in a steer hide and singing loudly, chanting, members of a group known as Sharpshooter were among the drum groups that took turns providing constant music for the powwow in the arena. "We're from Turtle Island," said one of the members of the group using handmade sticks. Turtle Island is used by some Indigenous Americans to refer to North America. "We're from all over," added another. Jeremy "Worm" Dearly of Phoenix writes songs for the group and serves as its lead singer, stretching his voice in Lakota and Ojibwe. He penned a song Sharpshooter performed early in the powwow that he based on a dream — in his dream, his father was singing him the lyrics of the song. "All the people help one another. You only have one life to live," Dearly said. "That's what that song means." A number of drum and singing groups kept the powwow going, each unique in their approach and with their own style. The Mountain Kree drum group plays powwows all summer and travels around, said Garrison Deschamps, noting the group of 10 is made up of members of a family from Alberta, Canada. Some powwows allow for larger groups, but the Gathering of Nations caps it at 10, he said. "We travel throughout Canada, the United States," Deschamps said. "It's just a good feeling you get sitting around a drum with your brothers and enjoying visiting with everybody else that you don't get to see for a long time. That's what makes it meaningful to us." "Each and every drum has their own camaraderie. They pick up their own singers whenever they can. There's lots of singers everywhere that want to sing with whoever," he added, as a drum group with more of a southern style began to play nearby. Duncan said the powwow music, the hypnotic drumbeats, gives him a feeling unlike anything in American popular music. "You just feel it," Duncan said. "It's different from when I listen to rap, metal, country. When you hear this, you feel it." Change over time Shirtless with a vest plate complete with a badger skull, rabbit fur and a tobacco bag, Billie Broken Trail made the journey from St. Petersburg, Fla., but opted to travel by air this year instead of driving. "First time on the plane coming this way," said Broken Trail, of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. "I didn't like it. I can drive; 26 hours don't bother me compared to being up in that plane for four hours." Donning a small circular mirror as part of his headdress with feathers, Boye Ladd, 77, had bells and other shiny objects as a part of his regalia that made a jangling noise as he walked. "Things like mirrors, bells, things that are shiny and sharp, are ways to repel negativeness, bad spirits and everything," Ladd said. "If somebody shoots medicine at you, voodoo or whatever you want to call it, it bounces back." Ladd said he's seen powwows change a bit over the years. "It evolved I guess to what you see today with competition and everything," Ladd added. "I've seen back when there was no competition back in the early '50s. It's pro and con, depends on how you look at it. Integrity, spirit, honor, respect — the positive. The other side is money, materialism, and that takes away from the spirit."
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
City of Albuquerque to open new pallet homes to help people recovering from addiction
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) –There's a new option in Albuquerque for people struggling with homelessness and drug addiction. The city is ready to open a first-of-its-kind, recovery-focused shelter. Soon enough, the city will welcome dozens of new residents to the shelter full of small, portable homes to give people a place to live and get on their feet. 'We need a place where we can lay our heads down and know that we are in a safe place,' said Donald Hume, formerly homeless. Sober for more than 30 years now, Hume already knows the city's new tiny palette home project is something that should have a big impact. 'We didn't have recovery homes like this when I came into recovery,' said Hume. USPS unveils new stamps featuring Cochiti Pueblo artist's work at Gathering of Nations A first of its kind for Albuquerque, run through the city's Gateway Center program, this new 46-pallet home micro community near I-25 and Comanche will soon house people trying to move past drug addiction. At capacity, up to 50 people will live in the community. To get there, residents can be referred by local detox centers or addiction recovery providers. 'Those referrals will be streamlined throughout with our case management and clinical services, and we will contact the referring party and do an interview, see if that person is appropriate for our services, and we'll take it from there,' said Nancy Suarez, Endeavors Services Program Manager Residents will be able to live in the pallet community for up to two years. After two mistrials, charges dropped against former Albuquerque police officer accused of false imprisonment Along with onsite services like laundry rooms, a kitchen, and a pet area, the 'Gateway Recovery' community has three open areas where residents can talk or share meals with on-site social workers and neighbors. 'Reminder, because I think there's confusion sometimes, this is post-detox to maintain sobriety and recovery, right? And so that is to help you continue on that path of sustaining your non-use and your recovery process,' said Gilbert Ramirez with the City of Albuquerque Health, Housing, and Homelessness Department. Funded with $5 million in opioid settlement funds, the city built the project in just nine months. 'The county jumped on board, saying, 'Yes, we're in, how do we help?' That's the unification that happens when we put people before politics and we make things happen,' said Ramirez. The city says service providers are aiming to work on evaluating referrals for people to live in these pallet homes within two to three days. The city says the 'Recovery Gateway' project is going to start taking in residents within the coming weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
