TOPPENISH, Wash. – Legends Casino and Hotel is celebrating its 25th anniversary which is already bringing people to the hotel. There was another gathering that was about bringing people together to celebrate culture.
The Yakama Nation gathered for a Pow Wow and stick game tournament as well as to celebrate and educate people on their traditions.
John Gaspard, the co-chair of the Pow Wow says he enjoys these events.
“Everybody just comes together and enjoys each other’s company, and enjoys the singing and the dancing,” said Gaspard.
He told me this is the lifestyle he grew up in and these pow-wows mean everything to him to be able to celebrate his culture.
“It shows within our culture,” he says. “It shows when we travel to different communities, different places. So it’s a good feeling when you get there.”
According to one person I talked to, they estimated around 200 different tribes attended the pow-wow. There were stick games a traditional guessing game where marked bones are hidden in the hands of one team while another team guesses their location. Once a team collects all the marked bones that team wins the items placed between them.There was dancing, singing, and of course, who could forget about the food like fry bread? Cecil Jackson was both an attendee and a vendor helping make the fry bread.
“The fry bread is like flour, or we compare it to a flour pastry or like a pastry itself, but without the filling,” said Jackson.
He says while it might look like a pastry, they are very different in flavor, because of the ingredients. Every family’s recipe could be different.
“My mother-in-law is the one who makes the dough mix,” said Jackson.”For her, she keeps it pretty quiet on what she does.”
Gaspard says it’s very important to him for people to come to a pow-wow and experience their culture and learn. He says it’s hard to put into words what a pow-wow means to him.
One part of the event was the ceremonial blessing that I wasn’t allowed to record. Gaspard says everyone is welcome at these events and if you ever have any questions, just reach out to him.
According to Gaspard, they are already in the stages of planning next year’s pow-wow.
