Click here to view the powwow panoramic

As many as 350 dancers and drummers representing tribes from across the United States and Canada will compete for cash prizes in the second day of the 44th annual Hozhoni Days contest powwow. Grand entries are scheduled to begin in FLC's Whalen Gymnasium at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., with gourd dancing starting an hour before each session.

The Miss Hozhoni Days Pageant crowning ceremony will take place after the final grand entry begins.

Spectators, who traditionally number in the thousands, have the unique opportunity to witness different styles of dancing and learn about the cultures and history behind those dances, said Wanbli Ota President Talia White, an FLC junior.

"It's going to be a big social setting for everybody to meet and learn and understand the different cultures that are coming here to Fort Lewis College and that exist here at the college," said White.

Wanbli Ota, a nonprofit student group dedicated to promoting cultural diversity, organizes Hozhoni Days every year. The eight students who organized the celebration this year hope to see the event draw a big crowd, as does FLC Native American Center Director Yvonne Bilinski.

"Hozhoni Days is a time for people to revel in who they are and where they come from," she said. "It's a time to laugh, listen and experience other cultures."

Click here to send an email to the author