UTTC International Powwow flexes its cultural and economic muscle

The culmination of organizing a powwow is best seen during its grand entry: when all the dancers enter the venue together, to the pounding rhythm of a rawhide drum.

Dennis Neumann is the archive assistant with the UTTC’s library. He told Buffalo’s Fire that with all big things, the event started small in 1970.

“It was students at then-United Tribes Employment Training Center who first concocted this,” he explained.

A 44-year-old World War II veteran, Hidatsa tribal member and building trades student named Lee Fox is credited with organizing the inaugural powwow held in April of 1970. It was a small and informal gathering on one of the campus tennis courts. But it began to grow and draw interest in an era of Native American activism and cultural renewal.

Neumann said a more public event was held just three months later.

“It was a summer powwow, and it was called United Tribes Days,” said Neumann. “It was intended to invite the local, non-Native community onto the campus to try to give them an idea of what was going on, how education was going and how people from the tribes were using this as an economic development opportunity.”

In the decades since, the UTTC International Powwow has become one of the powerhouse events of the upper Midwest. The drummers roll call alone shows the magnitude of its draw, with drumming groups coming in from all corners of Indian Country.

UTTC President Leander McDonald recalled coming to the powwow in its early years as a boy.

“Mid ‘70s, there was a rodeo here,” said McDonald. “We don’t have it anymore, but my dad came from a cowboy family so we came up, and they used to rope all the time, and then we camped here.”

As stated, the UTTC International Powwow has shifted and changed in its more than a half century. But one fact remains: it’s a huge boost to the local economy for Bismarck. It’s estimated that 10,000 people come for the powwow, while 20,000 hit the stores, restaurants, hotels and attractions in that same period.

“We looked at the economic impact of the powwow here, and a previous study indicated $4.2 million for that week,” McDonald said. He added the college is working on another analysis this year with the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC to hone in on the benefits to area businesses.

Justin Young, chair of the powwow committee, said they’re as ready as they can be before the drumming signals the grand entry. He added that there are other events that add to the traffic.

“We have our softball tournament, we have our golf tournament, a basketball tournament,” said Young. “So we have a lot of events that kick off. We have the Thunderbird Run. Whatever you’re interested in I’m sure we have a tournament for it.”

Like McDonald, Young started young with the powwow. He recalled coming to Bismarck in the 1980s, and the event’s been an important part of his life since.

“My favorite memories are being able to dance with my dad, dance with other relatives that we don’t get to see a lot,” said Young. “So it’s whenever our family comes together, being able to dance and share the circle with them.”

Students are a major beneficiary of the powwow and the events week. Proceeds generate scholarship money, an average of $50,000 a year.

McDonald explained that the costs of security and porta-potties have also been shifted to other UTTC budgets, making the event more profitable. At the same time – even with the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, ending next year – they’re facing rival powwows from across the country that weren’t around in 1970.

“It’s kind of changed since then,” said McDonald. “So you got MHA Nation, they’ve discovered oil up there so that those communities have been rivaling us for sure in regard to not only the prize money, but also the attendance at their events.”

McDonald said that big prize money draws in lots of dancers and participants.

“So there’s a number of powwows that are pretty much the same as United Tribes.”

But it was — and still is — the UTTC International Powwow that set the bar. And with thousands of people streaming into Bismarck this weekend and nearly 70 vendors signed on with a waiting list, the event will be going strong for the foreseeable future.