R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press The Hannahville Indian Community, a Potawatomi tribe, dances along with participating visitors at the recent Great Lakes Area Traditional Powwow at the Woodland Gathering Grounds.

R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press
Singing and playing a large drum, members of a drum circle keep the beat for dancers during the 49th annual Great Lakes Area Traditional Powwow.

HANNAHVILLE — The Great Lakes Area Traditional Powwow, an annual event, was recently held at the Woodland Gathering Grounds in Harris Township. As a social event open to the public, the local Hannahville Indian Community — a Potawatomi band — was joined by members of other tribes in addition to other guests.

Characterized by the rhythmic beats of drum circles and dancers clad in regalia — often colorful, sometimes festooned with beads, feathers, and jingle cones — a powwow is a celebration of Native American heritage and an opportunity for people to learn about the culture. Many traditions are observed by tribes around the continent, while others vary by region.

The Hannahville tribe is part of the Potawatomi nation, a people who are the “keepers of the fire” in the Council of Three Fires — an alliance that also includes the Ojibwa, “keepers of the faith,” and the Odawa, who are the “keepers of trade.” All are Anishnaabe, a larger group of culturally-related indigenous nations near the Great Lakes.

The event at the Woodland Gathering Grounds recently was the 49th summer powwow hosted by the local tribe. The three-day event of June 13 through 15 featured four grand entries total on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“A grand entry is when all of the dancers are in the arena at the same time,” said Culture Manager Molly Meshigaud from the Hannahville Indian Community. “I usually compare it to like a parade type dance, because the flags and the staff carriers come in first…”

After head staff and head dancers, there is royalty — princesses and braves (ceremonial titles) from other tribes who represent their communities at various powwows. There is a procession order for those grand entries, Meshigaud explained, and an arena director helps the dancers line up.

Jefferson Ballew served that role at the Great Lakes Area powwow this year.

Many other dances are less structured than the grand entries.

“Our emcees are very knowledgable, and they usually talk a lot and let you know which songs you can dance on and what you can’t,” Meshigaud said.

Emcees for the recent event were Joey Awonohopay and Joel Syrette.

There are a few primary types of dances — traditional, fancy, grass and woodland. Some are separated into men’s, women’s, girls’ and boys’, while others welcome anyone.

Traditional dances are performed to slower beats, with relatively subdued movements. Traditional dancers may be seen as storytellers whose gestures along with beaded and feathered regalia recall their history.

“Then we have men’s fancy, where they have a bustle on the top and a bustle on the bottom,” Meshigaud said. “Their dancing is very fast, and they have intricate dance moves, where the traditional is more laid-back.”

Grass dancers wear fringes made of strands of yarn or ribbon to represent and move like tall grass.

“Several tribes remember the grass dance as being part of the preparation in making a clearing for ceremony,” the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi states on their website. “The regalia is decorated with long, multi-colored yarn fringes which sway gracefully with the movement of the dancers’ bodies and are reminiscent of the long, blowing grasses of the prairie. That fringe originally started out as sweet grass hung from the regalia. The dance movements are distinctive for their sliding, shaking and spinning motions, rather than the high kicking steps of the fancy dancer.”

Seen at the Hannahville tribe’s powwow and at others in Wisconsin and Minnesota, the woodland dance is one that is characteristic of the locale.

“That is a very distinct song that is around the Great Lakes region. So if you would go to powwow in like, Arizona, you’re most likely not going to hear a woodland song,” Meshigaud said.

Yet another type is the jingle dance. Jingle dresses have metal cones — once made from snuff tin lids, but now often manufactured in other ways — attached to the fabric. Almost sounding like a tambourine, the jingling combined with dancing and prayer is a method for healing.

Multiple drum circles were stationed around the arena. A head drum judge — this year at the Great Lakes Area powwow, it was Kno Pyawasit — worked with the emcees to work on assigning the drum rotation so that the multiple groups all got to play an equal amount. At the end, the various drum circles were judged based on their rhythm, beat, singing, etc.

People camped on the Woodland Gathering Grounds the weekend of the powwow, and several vendors attended with stands and food trucks closer to the arena. Tribal members sold handmade crafts, while others dished out frybread.

Whether dancing or spectating, the tribe and guests alike enjoyed the communal event, upbeat atmosphere, and celebration of culture.

For people interested in learning more about tribal culture and history, The Potawatomi Heritage Center at N15756 Hannahville B-1 Rd. in Wilson is a museum that is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and sometimes by appointment for larger groups.

Just a couple years ago, the Hannahville Indian Community began hosting another powwow later in the year. This year’s will be held Nov. 22 and 23 at the new convention center at the Island Resort and Casino.