Powwows’ are a significant part of Native American culture, and this past weekend the Ely Shoshone Tribe held their annual Powwow-Fandango. For those unaware of what, exactly, a “Powwow” is… A gathering held by Native American and First Nations communities for Indigenous people to socialize, and honor their culture as they join together to celebrate their heritage through drumming, dance, and song. Most Powwows are held over several days, and feature traditional dress, food, craft vendors, and ceremonies. “Fandango” emerged in the early eighteenth century as a dance and music craze across Spain and the Americas. It became a conduit for the creative interaction of music and dance for people of diverse Spanish, Afro-Latin, Gitano, and Amerindian origins.
The Ely Shoshone Powwow/Fandango kicked off with a rich and vibrant procession of Native American and Indigenous dancers from around the states who danced to the beat of traditional drums. I am told that the drum is the heartbeat of the Native American Powwow, and there is always a group of singers who sing to the rhythm of the beating of the large drum in haunting and beautiful synchronicity. I am always mesmerized by that, and by the stunning costumes the dancers, mostly, created by hand. I learned that each dance tells a story or represents a particular theme or animal, and it was fascinating to see the diverse range of dances.
The Horseshoe tournaments were dedicated to Rodney McQueen, a member of the Ely Shoshone Tribe, who passed away in 2021 due to COVID-related complications. Rod worked for the tribe, and each year headed the Powwow’s horseshoe tournaments. The 2022 Powwow/Fandango was canceled due to COVID, so 2024 was a year dedicated to the memory of Rod. Cash donations for the tournaments were donated by family and friends that paid for entry fees, and cash prizes. As fate or destiny would have it, Rod’s Brother, Victor McQueen, Jr. known as “Buck” and his partner won 1st place in Friday’s Tournament splitting a $1,600 pot while Rod’s Father, Victor McQueen, Sr. and his partner won Saturday’s cash prize of $1,400. Note: The McQueen family would like to express their sincere gratitude to those who donated and participated in making this event a very special, and memorable success. Jennifer McQueen, who works for the tribe, and Rodney McQueen’s widow stated “We couldn’t have done this without our wonderful community’s donations.”
The Tribe, by itself, contributed cash prizes for the adult and youth hand games. There were three adult teams with 1st place winning $3k.
There were approximately 500 people who traveled from various cities and towns across Nevada including California, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming; those being dancers, 36 food and arts and crafts vendors, 32 team entries for horseshoe tournaments, participants in the traditional “Hand Games” (a Native American guessing game, in which marked “bones” are concealed in the hands of one team while another team guesses their location), the families of those listed above, and Ely locals.
If you could not attend this year’s Powwow/Fandango, please mark your calendars for July 2025 as you won’t regret experiencing the unique and beautiful culture of the Indigenous Native American Indian.
Leave a Reply