SILETZ — The smell of freshly cooked fry bread wafted over the Pauline Ricks Memorial Pow-wow Grounds as thousands celebrated native culture.
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians hosted the Annual Nesika Illahee Pow-Wow on Aug. 7 to Aug. 9 in the small town northeast of Newport, where people watched traditional dancers, shopped for native-themed memorabilia, and feasted on culturally rooted food.
"On display is traditional dancing, drumming, and singing from all over Indigenous America and further. Our gathering has an array of vendors that represent the many facets of Indigenous American arts, crafts, and cuisine," the tribe said.
Traditional dancers preform during the Nesika Illahee Pow-Wow on Aug. 8 in Siletz.
Hundreds encircled dancers in the middle of the memorial grounds during a Nesika Illahee powwow.
Competition is the Siletz powwow's central focus.
Dancers and pageant participants vie for top scores from judges.
Outside the ring of dancers and drummers, dozens of vendors hosted booths. They showcased beaded jewelry, Native American regalia, and carts with cultural foods.
"A powwow is a celebration of native, Indigenous people," said Selene Rilatos, a Siletz Tribal Council member. "This is an adopted powwow that my dad and my uncle brought to our reservation in the '70s."
The event commenced each day with "grand entry," where hundreds of dancers enter the grounds with an opening song. It culminated with a salmon feed, where salmon was cooked over an open fire and served for free to the public.
Dancers compete in distinct categories that coincide with their regalia and movement style. Fancy, for example, is typically faster than other categories and features dancers wearing eagle-feather crowns and backplates. Jingle is exclusive to women who are gowned in metal cones that chime as they dance.
Dancers are judged on their regalia, rhythm with the drumming, and ability to stop precisely as the song ends. Some compete in powwows across the country.
Rilatos has practiced traditional Native American dancing since she was very young. She said that dancing is an inherently spiritual practice for performers.
"Every time you take a step, you are dancing in prayer," Rilatos said. "When you're out there dancing, it's the drumbeat of our mother earth. So that's the prayer of our mother."
Drummers provide the music for the dances, typically in groups of six to 10 members. The groups come from across North America to perform.
James Williams has been drumming since he was 7. The Siletz tribal member has drummed in multiple different groups and traveled around the country to drum.
"When we sing, sometimes you'll hear words. Sometimes it's in different languages like Lakota, Nakota, Cree, Navajo. Some songs don't have words at all, and it's the expression of how that person is feeling at that time," Williams said.
For Siletz tribal members, the powwow serves as a family and friends gathering. Sissy Rilatos, Selene Rilatos's cousin, said that the powwow was the most exciting part of her year growing up. She said that family, cultural connection, and competing in dance are her favorite parts of the event.
"I think there's a great deal of pride in this event that we put together," Rilatos said. "It's growing quite a bit, and to just be able to see all the generations of families come together and participate in dancing ... I think it's just a sense of pride."
Fish Martinez has sold his beaded jewelry at the powwow for three years. Beaded necklaces and earrings are among the different heritage items sold by vendors. Fry bread, a soft and puffy bread that was a historic staple dish on reservations, is served by many vendors on the grounds.
Martinez, from Eugene, grew up making beaded jewelry. He only uses naturally sourced elements, such as shells, glass beads, and deer hide. Most necklaces feature dentalium shells, which Martinez said were historically used as currency by Native Americans.
"When you beading, you're making medicine for the people," Martinez said. "It's the healing way. The way we were taught."
The Nesika Illahee Pow-Wow is free and open to the public. It is held every year during the second weekend of summer at the powwow grounds on Government Hill in Siletz.
Typically, the first grand entry is on the second Friday of August at 7 p.m. Dancing will last late into Friday night, and resumes Saturday at 1 p.m. after the parade through Siletz at 10 a.m.
The final grand entry is on Sunday at 12 p.m. followed by a public salmon feed in the Siletz Tribal Community Center. Parking is free at the powwow grounds.
The event strictly forbids alcohol and drugs.
Riley Ellis is an outdoor intern at the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Siletz powwow offers salmon, fry bread and traditional dancing