St. Ignatius children, Bavarian tourists enjoy powwow
Megan Strickland
Keyan PrettyOnTop watches other members of the St. Ignatius Dance Troupe perform.
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Elannah Flatlip takes a break from dancing at a powwow in St. Ignatius.
Megan Strickland
Aileen Plant leads the St. Ignatius Dance Troupe in a powwow performed for schoolchildren and Bavarian tourists.
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
Kason Page, Tia Carpenter, and Destiny Hadley dance at a powwow.
Megan Strickland
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MISSION – There was a transcontinental exchange of culture at St. Ignatius Elementary School Sept. 13, as children of the St. Ignatius Dance Troupe donned traditional outfits and held a powwow for students and tourists from Bavaria, Germany.
It’s an event the school tries to hold each year in conjunction with Native American Awareness Week, according to the troupe’s agent and promoter Suzie Batiuchok. Batiuchok is a member of the Friendship Force of Missoula, which welcomes visitors from foreign countries each year. Through the event Batiuchok brings the troupe together — which consists of schoolchildren from across the valley and tourists — to promote cultural diffusion.
“I’m so proud to bring our culture to them as a celebration of diversity,” Batiuchok said. “We must teach and support our heritage. Indian education for all is something that I think is an integral part of the curriculum, especially since we’re here on the reservation.”
The troupe began many years ago and disbanded before being brought back to life by Native American studies teachers Geraldine Felix and Aileen Plant and spiritual leader Ben Corral, Batiuchok said.
During the ceremony Corral told the audience about the significance of different parts of the powwow, like outfit design.
“The reason they call them the grass dancers is because … they have the fringe … Once the dancer starts moving his body, when he moves his body it sways just like the grass,” Corral said.
The outfits can weigh as much as 200 pounds depending on what materials they are made out of, Corral said. Children and tourists looked on for a few dances before they joined the dancers and began twisting and twirling themselves.
Batiuchok was pleased with the audience’s attitude.
“I think the children really displayed their pride pretty clearly and the entire school I thought was very respectful of the dancers,” Batiuchok said.
She looks forward to next year’s ceremony.
“It’s wonderful to have that continuity and pass the culture on to people and places that know nothing about it.”
