West's oldest continuous powwow

Home is where the tepee rises for dozens of families this week at the 116th annual Arlee Celebration. That’s no big surprise, since the West’s oldest continuous powwow draws those who tend to pay close attention to their tribal traditions. For many in this part of Indian Country, the tepee is an integral part of that. What you might not suspect if you drop by the powwow in the next few days is that the sight of so many canvas-and-lodgepole structures is not all that common at these events. Arlee draws its share in part because the committee provides poles, rough-hewn though they might be. They’re leaning on racks on either side of the powwow grounds, replenished every year by volunteer groups, Kicking Horse Job Corps or the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes’ forestry department. The most common-sized tepee requires 17 poles of 24 feet in length. As the annual powwow shifts into competition mode Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the times for families and friends to sit and visit will become fewer, said Willie Stevens, the vice chairman of the powwow, as he finished his late lunch in Home Gun’s lodge. More than the prize money and food, the powwow’s importance lies in what it offers youths, Stevens said. “It’s a time for our young kids, to teach them our traditions and cultural ways,” he said. “They find out who their relatives are that way. They come together and they know who their family is and it’s really important for them to get together.”...more