*Arlee Powwow 2010*

For about every year sense I can remember, Montana powwows have been an annual summer event in my family, all of us kids would pile into the mega van with high ceilings, loaded with sleeping bags, coffee, and cards, my mom with her fanny pack...  The powwow is so soothing to me, the drumming, the singing, the jingling of the many jingle dresses. My mom and step dad would deal black jack which i thought when i was young was all about the money. my sister, brother and I  would serve coffee to players til we could barley keep our eyes open, every drum beat slowly putting us to sleep. Of course who ever lasted the longest got the better tips, which were usually immediately spent, on fry bread, or some toy we could find at the vendors. Now that I'm older I still go and usually my parents still deal black jack, i don't serve the coffee anymore for tips and I've learned that even though its fun to win a few bucks, its even greater to see familiar faces year after year, hear the endless stories, and share in the many many laughs.

i remember when i was just getting into photography my dad and mom showing me slides of dancers at the powwow and thinking how amazing they looked.

I try to take a few every year, just because i guess, to record history,  I don't ever do anything with these images then print a few out for myself, but i think that if anyone can get the same feeling i got from looking at my parents slides then maybe a few more people can experience a Montana powwow..