Powwows are coming into the mainstream of American culture, says Wallace Coffey, the chairman of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma.

"I've been saying it for years, culture in America is not ballet and ballroom dancing," Coffey tells The New York Times. "It's tractor rides, rodeos and powwows."

The powwow circuit is in high gear during the summer, with countless events around the country. Some dancers, drum groups and vendors try to hit as many as they can.

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Celebrating the Powwow Way of Life (The New York Times 6/18)
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