He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate From humble beginnings to one of the largest powwows in the Nation

 

 

RAPID CITY –It was 1986, along the banks of Mni Luzahan, that the first Black Powwow began which was held in conjunction with what was known as the 4th of July Heritage Festival in Memorial park.

Soon the powwow outgrew the Heritage Festival and was held in Memorial Park the weekend following the 4th of July. The event eventually moved inside the Civic Center and was celebrated in conjunction with Native American Day, the second Monday in October.

The name of the powwow was changed from Black Hills Powwow to mirror the culture of the Oyate living in the Black Hills and was renamed He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate. Visitors were invited to come dance and play with their relatives living in Mni Luzahan.

Next week-end the heartbeat of Ina Maka will once again reverberate throughout the foothills of the Black Hills as the Oyate celebrate the 35th Annual He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate at the new Monument Summit Arena October 6-8.

From its humble beginnings, the Wacipi has now grown to boast more than 1,200 dancers and over 10,000 spectators and organizers envision it becoming the largest powwow in the world.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, Dakota Charitable Foundation hosted a special reception at Prairie Edge for local business owners who have offered not only financial support but also moral support to the powwow over the years.

Black Hills Powwow President Stephen Yellowhawk welcomed everyone and gave special recognition to Dan Tribby, general manager of Prairie Edge and to the Dakota Charitable Foundation.

“I’d like to thank all organizations that are here representing your organizations and all the help that you’ve given to the Pow Wow over the years, and continue to give. We’ve seen the tremendous growth in this wacipi here in our community and we see it continue to grow and be the best that it can be for our people,” Yellowhawk said.

Yellowhawk also thanked the Monument staff whom he acknowledged as being integral in the success of the event, “We’ve had an awesome relationship with them for over a decade and continue to use that partnership to provide a beautiful event for our community.”

The Black Hills powwow has special meaning to Yellowhawk as it was the first powwow he participated in as a teenager and he remembers how good it made him feel to be part of a platform where he could share his indigenous culture with his peers and the community.

“So I know all of you who come to the pow wow, the dancers, the artists, the singers that come also have that special feeling, of being able to bring that good medicine here to the Black Hills during the Black Hills Pow wow,” he said and thanked everyone in attendance.

Next to speak was the newly elected Mayor of Rapid City Jason Salamun who thanked the committee for initiating him into this “incredible” event, “I saw Stephen last year, I got to participate in the Wacipi 101 class, which was very eye opening for me. I didn’t know how competitive things were. I knew that there was a lot of cultural and meaningful parts of this, but what I didn’t understand was that it is part culture, part sport and I thought that this should be televised.”

Whitney Rencountre, who was not only eyapaha for this event, but will also be the eyapaha for the powwow, introduced the Board of Directors for Black Hills Powwow Association, President Stephen Yellowhawk, Vice President – Dew Bad Warrior-Ganje, Treasurer – Lisa Hatten, Director – Sandor Iron Rope, Director – Mitchell Brewer and Director – Nick Hernandez.

Rencountre then introduced Dan Tribby who said, “Now I just want to talk to you about happy. If you really want to see happy, come to the powwow. I mean last year, truly I’m getting goosebumps, thinking about last year and how wonderful that was. We’re talking over 1200 dancers, it’s a number that is almost unimaginable.”

Tribby said this year’s powwow will be even bigger and emphasized the economic impact the powwow has in the community, “There’s millions of dollars dancing around down on the floor in regalia, and the people are happy and the people are proud of putting the regalia together and of dancing and of spending time together, and your invited.”

Tribby said last year’s revenue from the Black Hills Powwow surpassed the revenue Prairie Edge earned from the Sturgis Bike Rally, “I would just like you all to think about that, Sturgis was I guess, 83 this year. It’s going to be the 35th year of the pow wow and this community this area, for years and years we lived and died on the receipts from the Rally, it was the biggest thing that used to get shaken in western South Dakota, and I got to tell you it’s still a wonderful event and we will always welcome those leather clad, topless folks and that also makes me happy.”

Tribby said however that there is one hump to get over, “and that’s to get bigger than the Gathering of all Nations and it’s going to happen and it’s going to happen soon.”

Tribby then presented a check for $20,000 to the Black Hills Powwow Association from the Dakota Charitable Foundation.

Rencountre thanked the Dakota Charitable Foundation and said that when he had the privilege of serving as the chairman of Visit Rapid City he visited with his good friend Karen Mortimer.

“We approached the late Julie Jenson, former CEO of Visit Rapid City, and we let her know that it is important that the city and the community understands and supports this event. It’s not just about helping the city of Rapid City, but in our culture your finances aren’t what determine your wealth, it’s your relationships, it’s how you treat other people,” Rencountre said.

The renowned Eyapaha emphasized that when the city and community treat the elders and the youth with dignity and respect when they come to town for the Powwow and for the Lakota Nation Invitational it’s the highlight of the year for them.

He said everyone agreed and understood the importance of coming together, “Not just for ourselves as adults, but to give our children a chance, to live in a community, where they are valued uplifted and taught how to treat one another, so that’s the bottom line. Jim Skull always says money is nothing but energy, so in our language we say Taku Skan Skan, that energy that moves, so when you help one another, when you encourage one another when you sit down and listen to different people with different beliefs, and build a bridge and you find a way to collaborate, that’s the true spirit of what Black Hills Pow Wow is all About.”

Also speaking was Black Hills Powwow Association Vice-President Dew Bad Warrior-Ganji who gave a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the economic impact of the Powwow. In 2019, 14, 596 out of town visitors spent $4,357,000 dollars in the city during the powwow.

The Board of Directors who coordinate the powwow every year have donated over $4 million dollars in volunteer time, “Every one of us dedicates and volunteers our time year round to making this the best event we possibly can,” Bad Warrior-Ganji said.

Also addressing the audience was Doing Big Things Rapid City Director Brooke Kaufman, Executive Director of the Monument Arena Craig Baltzer, HRC/MOA member Karen Mortimer and Black Hills Powwow Association Board Member Sander Iron Rope.

Entertainment for the evening and preview of the upcoming powwow were dance performances by Jaylee Rencountre and Avant Yellow Hawk.

Jaylee gave a stunning exhibition of the women’s fancy shawl dance in which the dancer imitates the intricate movement of a Kimimila (butterfly). Jaylee is a 2019 graduate of Central High School and is the daughter of Whitney Rencountre.

Avant performed his rendition of the grass dance which is the oldest surviving tribal dance. Avant the son of Stephan Yellow Hawk is a 2019 graduate of Stevens High school and currently attending Oglala Lakota College.

(Contact Ernestine Anunksan Hopa at editor@nativesunews.today)

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