Dancers in traditional regalia perform during the Winter Pow Wow on Feb. 21 at the Tri-Counties Community Center in Marysville. The event featured a variety of exhibition dances celebrating Native culture. Photo courtesy of Julianna Greathouse

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - For more than two decades, the annual Winter Pow Wow at the Tri-Counties Community Center has offered the community a lively and welcoming introduction to Native culture, blending tradition with lighthearted fun.

Pat Bennett, a local leader of the American Indian Education Program, said the winter gathering is intentionally designed to be more relaxed than the group’s larger competitive powwow later in the year.

Female dancers perform in colorful regalia during the Winter Pow Wow on Feb. 21 at the Tri-Counties Community Center in Marysville. Organizers describe the winter gathering as a fun introduction to powwow traditions. Photo courtesy of Julianna Greathouse

“We do a two-day powwow at the end of May or beginning of June. That’s sort of the contest powwow and traditional setup of powwow, but this particular Winter Powwow is our fun powwow,” explained Bennett. “It’s just basically the one day and we introduce a lot of fun dancing like the potato dance where they have to dance with the potato between them and they can’t drop it or they’re out, or the stop-and-go dance, or any kind of fun dance like that. We try to do it so that it’s a fun introduction of the powwow for our community to let them know what it’s all about.”

This year’s pow wow took place Saturday, Feb. 21, in Marysville and was well attended. Julianna Greathouse, a frequent participant in the American Indian Education Program at the community center, said she initially planned to stop by briefly but ended up staying for the full event.

“It was so entertaining and beautiful to watch. I even got to participate in a couple of dances. It was definitely fun for all ages,” said Greathouse. “My favorite dances were the men’s, jingle dance and fancy dance. These people have spent tons and tons of hours on their outfits. The beadwork and everything is top notch. Lots of colors and beauty.”

Participants rush the floor during a multi-age candy and prize grab at the Winter Pow Wow on Feb. 21 at the Tri-Counties Community Center in Marysville. Attendee Julianna Greathouse described the activity as a lively free-for-all where participants raced to collect items placed across the floor. Photo courtesy of Julianna Greathouse

While Greathouse had attended a previous powwow mainly to browse vendors, she said this year’s experience felt more meaningful after participating in pre-event workshops.

“This last one we came to free classes to make ribbon shirts and shawls beforehand. Then we were able to participate while wearing the items we made. You don’t have to wear those things, but it is honoring them,” she said.

Alongside the playful dance contests, portions of the gathering were dedicated to honoring those who have recently passed and celebrating youth achievements. According to Bennett, educating youth and giving them opportunities to showcase their abilities remains a central focus.

Participants line up in full regalia during the Winter Pow Wow on Feb. 21 at the Tri-Counties Community Center in Marysville. The annual event offers the community a welcoming introduction to powwow traditions and dance styles. Photo courtesy of Julianna Greathouse

“We had our youth drum there and they sang a few songs that they’ve been practicing for some months since August,” said Bennett. “We also had about five young people that were what we call shadows, so they shadow the MC and the arena director and they kind of work around the powwow.”

Attendees also pointed to a crowd-favorite moment in which a male and female dancer swapped traditional outfits and performed in each other’s style, a lighthearted break that still underscored respect for both roles.

Participants compete in the crowd-favorite potato dance during the Winter Pow Wow on Feb. 21 at the Tri-Counties Community Center in Marysville. Dancers must keep a potato balanced between them while moving to the music. Photo courtesy of Candice Sanapaw