Photograph by Tyler Stieber

UW-Platteville’s 11th annual traditional powwow was held in the Williams Fieldhouse on Oct. 31 .

Potatoes, dancing and eagle feathers may not seem to have much in common, but they all played a part in UW-Platteville’s 11th annual traditional powwow.

The powwow took place on Oct. 31 in the Williams Fieldhouse, with two colorful grand entries at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The fieldhouse was filled with various vendors selling things from cedar boxes to authentic native jewelry. The tribes represented included, the Oneida, Anishinabe, Menomonee, Potawatomi, Cherokee, Lakota and Ho Chunk. There were even tribes from as far away as Mexico — the Chichimeca, and Jamaica — the Arawak.

The origin of the powwow is believed to go back more than 100 years, and is America’s oldest public festival. It is typically described as a gathering of people to celebrate the circle of life with feasting, dancing, singing and drumming. In celebrating this circle, the physical structure of the powwow setting is a circle. The drums are either on the interior or exterior of the circle depending if it’s held indoors or outdoors and the space available.

“I thought it was a really interesting experience to finally attend a powwow. I have never been to one before and now I have a better understanding of the Native American culture,” agriculture business and animal science major Eric Schulenburg said.

Dances preformed included grass dancing, traditional and fancy shawl. There were many opportunities for audience participation with various intertribal and dedication dances, as well as some interesting competitions. This included a personal style dance competition where spectators could use what they learned and infuse it with their own individual technique for a cash prize going to the most original. Another competition was the “Potato Dance” which required each participant and their selected partner to hold a potato without using their hands and dance around the circle until only one couple was left.

“My favorite part [of the powwow] was the first dance when everyone from the audience was invited to join in,”  animal science major Jake Stueber said.

“For the native people it is important to gather around the drum, which is the heartbeat, and feel connected to mother earth. It is also important to share our culture with others so they can have a better understanding of Native Americans and what we believe,” Lance Tallmadge, member of the Ho Chunk Nation and head male dancer of the powwow, said.