Some of the participants in the Ateyapi Wacipi -- Honoring Our Youth Powwow. The Ateyapi Program is an after-school mentoring program helping Indian students achieve academic success in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo by Richie Richards
It’s pow wow time!
By Richie Richards
Native Sun News Staff Writer
www.nsweekly.com RAPID CITY –– The Spring 2016 Ateyapi Wacipi – Honoring Our Youth Pow wow was held at the Rapid City Central High School on Saturday, March 19. Despite pow wows held concurrently at the University of South Dakota and Loneman School in Oglala, several drums and nearly 80 dancers (mostly youth) came to celebrate and honor the students’ achievements and efforts throughout the school year. Well-known and respected emcee, Pat Bad Hand Sr. entertained families and friends with the latest round of Indian pow wow humor, as Arena Director Jim Red Eagle kept the drums and dancers in sync with the limited 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. schedule.
Grand Entry at the 2016 Spring Ateyapi Wacipi - Honoring the Youth Powwow in Rapid City. The Ateyapi Program is an after-school mentoring program helping Indian students achieve academic success in Rapid City.
Posted by Native Sun News on Saturday, March 19, 2016
This one session pow wow, sponsored by Rural American Initiatives in Rapid City, allowed for the introduction of several young dancers into the circle to dance for the first time. Mentors of the program helped students prepare regalia while teaching the novice dancers the customs of pow wow dancing. Ateyapi Mentor, Jennilee Rooks told NSN, “Through creating our students’ regalia, we wanted to encourage cultural identity, build positive self-esteem, and provide our students with the historical significance each item of regalia (i.e. knife cases, breastplates, feathers) played in our ancestors’ roles."
Read the rest of the story on the all new Native Sun News website: It’s pow wow time! (Contact Richie Richards at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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