Coeur d'Alene Casino Celebrates 33rd Annual Powwow This March

The Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel brought its 33rd Anniversary Powwow to the Event Center in Worley on March 21, with Wildrose serving as host drum and Rose Creek and White Horse filling the honorary host drum roles. The powwow drew what the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Council Fires News described as a packed house, pulling together dancers, drummers, families, and community members across a full weekend of gathering.

Grand entries ran at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with all dancers in regalia paid in the evening session. Traditional and switch dancing anchored the competition floor, with cash prizes on the line throughout the day. Prize payouts were structured at $500, $300, and $200, with competition categories including Men's Grass, Men's Traditional, and Switch Dance.

Head Man Jonathon Nomee and Head Woman Aralynn Abrahamson led the floor, with Greyowl Nomee serving as Arena Director and Quanah Matheson behind the microphone as MC. Seven invited drums joined Wildrose in the arena: Black Lodge, Dancing Eagle, Lightning Creek, Warpony, White Hawk, Wild Rose, and Yamncut.

The weekend opened a night early with Family Night on Friday, March 20. Families gathered for name-giving ceremonies, rejoinings, and more. The casino described the evening on Facebook as "a space for healing, comfort and good intentions," calling on attendees to come together "lifting one another up with love, prayers and community."

For some competitors, the stakes ran deeper than prize money. One dancer, identified by surname as Pluff, stepped onto the floor wearing her grandmother's dress. "Dancing in honor of my yaya meant more than I can even put into words," Pluff said. "Wearing her dress... that alone was overwhelming. Before I stepped out, I kept thinking, 'I don't want to do a disservice to her memory.' I was so nervous. But the moment I stepped onto the floor, all of that faded. I could picture her big, beautiful smile, and I felt her right there with me. In that moment, it wasn't just me dancing, it was us."

The event was open to everyone, held at the Event Center at the casino's Worley location at 37914 South Nukwalqw. The casino is owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, a sovereign nation. For information on future events, contact Yvette Matt at ymatt@cdacasino.com or extension 7273, or reach the casino at 1-800-523-2464.