Veterans Powwow draws crowd of celebrants

 

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

A man danced with his eyes locked on the tiny newborn cradled in his arms as the baby slept, oblivious to the pounding drums. Children danced or walked with their parents and the youngest simply hopped alongside, as the dancers made their way around the arena in grand entry on a blazing hot Saturday afternoon at the 2025 Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow.

The annual event was held at the uyxat Powwow Grounds Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13.

“I kind of need this today as a bit of a tonic, because I was in The Dalles yesterday, at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Commission) meeting where everything we’ve worked on for a long time was kind of taken away from us again,” Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier said. “So, this is a good example of how powwow can be a very healing experience, a very rejuvenating experience, and I think a lot of us need this for our souls right now. It’s a temporary setback; we’ll get over it like we get through everything else, but I personally really needed a powwow mind today.”

Saturday’s grand entry had been postponed a half hour to accommodate traffic moving slowly after a crash on Highway 18 that killed a McMinnville High School student. Detoured onto Hebo Road, traffic was backed up for miles as drivers tried to re-enter the highway. With the tragic outcome yet unknown on Saturday, the Tribe and friends came together to celebrate and honor veterans.

The Tribe has expressed deep frustration over the ODFW Commission’s decision but the weekend was for dancing, and dance people did, making the most of the warm weather and festive spirit.

There was no host drum this year, as the Tribe switched to a day-pay model. Drums included Huckleberry Hill, Northern Black Horse and Bad Soul.

Tribal Council member Denise Harvey welcomed the crowd on Friday evening, telling them, “It’s an honor to welcome you all here this evening…I’m so glad to honor our veterans.”

Harvey and Tribal Council member Brenda Tuomi participated in Friday’s grand entry.

Emcee Carlos Calica (Wasco, Paiute and Yakama) told the crowd that the songs being performed had “been passed down for generations, for us to use and enjoy. They are equal to the national anthem.”

Grand Ronde Tribal member Anthony Quenelle served as arena director.

On Saturday, Mercier welcomed the crowd, saying, “This is our time to shine.” He encouraged younger members of the crowd to “take the time to thank our veterans.”

Mercier noted the ODFW decision, saying that while it was disappointing, “We always come back stronger.”

In addition to Mercier, Tribal Council members who participated in Saturday’s grand entry included Secretary Jon A. George and council members Harvey, Kathleen George, Matthew Haller and Tuomi.

Abraham Shippentower (Umatilla) sang an honor song with his family and gave the invocation.

Undeterred by the heat, children ran to the dancing floor after grand entry, some followed by parents or older siblings.

Desirae Hernandez, 13, dances during the 2025 Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow at uyxat Powwow Grounds Saturday, July 12. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo)

The Veterans Royalty Pageant took place Friday morning in the Governance Center Atrium, with results announced that evening at the powwow grounds. The 2025-26 Veterans Royalty Court includes Tiny Tot Warrior William Craig, Veterans Warrior Brendyn Smallwood, Veterans Little Miss Princess Elesia Crawley, Veterans Little Miss Queen Elizabeth Ulestad and Veterans Junior Miss Queen Ila Mercier.

The outgoing 2024-25 Veterans Royalty Court consisted of Tiny Tot Princess Elesia Crawley, Tiny Tot Warrior William Craig, Veterans Little Miss Queen Ulali Quenelle, Princesses Harper Hernandez, Elizabeth Ulestad and Emmalynn Warren; Veterans Junior Miss Queen Leloo Quenelle and Veterans Senior Miss Queen Sophia Grout.

Craig, who is 6, and Crawley, 7, said they were having fun on Saturday.  

“I like the dance a lot,” Craig said, adding that he also liked his headdress, pointing out that it had two feathers at the back.

“I love to see everyone dance, and I love to see people like the drums,” Crawley said.

The Veterans Summit and Resource Fair took place Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the powwow grounds and included the debut of the human library video project. Attendees were served a continental breakfast and catered barbecue lunch. There was also a new “veterans sweat” Friday morning.

Among the vendors, Shannon Jackson (Sioux South Dakota and Athabascom) was finishing setting out her exhibits of beaded necklaces, feathered and beaded earrings, beading forms, beads, cups and small stuffed animals on Friday evening, as attendees circulated among the booths. Jackson said she makes some of the items and her daughter makes others.

“Both our husbands and my son are here, so we can spend the whole weekend here together,” she said.

“We just stay local,” Jackson said. “I was born in Salem; Mom was born in Salem, her sisters were born in Pine Ridge. My parents met at Chemawa Indian School.”

Jackson said it was the family’s third year of selling at local powwows around the area. “I only started because I was making something for one of my cousins, and somebody said, ‘Can I buy that?’” she said.

“I don’t sell them for too much,” she said. “My mom was a single mom, so when we came to powwow, we could look but not touch, and she didn’t make stuff, so we didn’t have things.”

She recalled a little boy of about 7 who had wanted to buy a necklace for his mother, but wasn’t sure the $15 he’d brought would be enough, as handmade necklaces usually sell for considerably more.

“I told him, ‘You pick out any necklace you want,” she said, and the child left proudly with the perfect gift in hand.

Tribal Elder Leona Jeffers was selling her handmade moccasins and handbags. She said she learned her skill from “an arts and crafts book I found in Florence, Oregon,” and has been practicing it for 25 years.

“I’ve gotten real popular; I’m one of only a few people making moccasins,” she said. “I got started because I did all the regalia for my family. In college I studied Native American culture, and going to powwows, and I just got highly interested in it.”

2025-26 Veterans Tiny Tot Warrior William Craig, 6, shakes hands with a veteran during the 2025 Marcellus Norwest Memorial Veterans Powwow at uyxat Powwow Grounds Saturday, July 12. (Photo by Michelle Alaimo)

Dancer Andrew Nava (Yaqui) was attending with his 6-year-old daughter, Siari.

“We started dancing last season,” he said. “It’s awesome seeing her go out here; she drives me,” he said.

Nava is a grass dancer, while his daughter is a jingle dress dancer. It was their first year at the veteran’s powwow, he said.

Southern cloth dancer Wynema Thurman (Osage/Chickasaw) was attending with her son, Sunhawk Thomas (Umatilla), Yakima Nation Veterans Day Powwow Warrior, who is making the rounds of the powwow circuit. He hopes to start a bison ranch after college, she said. Thurman said Thomas dances southern straight, as well as men’s northern traditional style.

Powwow concluded on Sunday, July 13, with a final grand entry at noon.

The next powwow, the Grand Ronde Contest Powwow, is scheduled to take place August 15 to 17 at the uyxat Powwow Grounds.