The first powwow in a combat zone brought together Indian soldiers but it also had an interesting effect on Iraqi citizens.

Jon Ketcher, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, said the Iraqis at first were interested in the powwow. But that quickly changed, he said.

"They came and were checking things out, but as soon as drums started and singing started, they took off," Ketcher told The Tulsa World. "It scared them."

The makeshift drum used for the powwow now sits in the National Museum of the American Indian.

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Celebrating roots in Iraq (The Tulsa World 5/26)