Buffalo’s Fire is committed to accurate and factual news. We will tell our 
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correct information, as quickly as possible.
We distinguish between corrections (for mistakes) and clarifications (for 
vague or misleading content).
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editorial team. You can:
<a href="/about-us/report-corrections">Fill the form</a>
Email: info@buffalosfire.com
Write to The Editor, P.O. Box 1, Halliday, N.D. 58636
Once verified, we will correct the story on the website as soon as possible. 
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corrected story and on this page.
The correction will include the correct information, a reference to the 
incorrect information, and the time and date of the correction.
<hr class="wp-block-separator" />
<h3>Corrections</h3>
5/10/22 (12:30 p.m. CDT) &#8211; 
<a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/boom-or-bust-oil-industry-hits-north-dakota">Boom or Bust: Oil industry hits North Dakota</a> 
This story has been updated to note that McKenzie county was the 
fastest-growing county during the last 10 years, according to the most recent 
decennial census.
8/12/22 (12:20 p.m. CDT) &#8211; <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/mha-nation-decriminalizes-medical-marijuana">MHA Nation decriminalizes medical marijuana </a>
This story originally misstated that Dr. Joseph Rosado treated Darian Morsette before he passed away. Rosado did not treat Morsette; he provided a medical consultation.
The story also originally reported that Kelly Hosie’s son attended a treatment center on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The center he attended is in Indiana.
8/13/25 (1:29 p.m. CDT) &#8211; <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/spirit-lake-nation-responds-to-misconduct-allegations-at-sheriffs-office-calls-out-urgent-need-for-responsive-law-enforcement">Spirit Lake Nation responds to misconduct allegations at sheriff’s office, calls out ‘urgent need’ for responsive law enforcement</a>
In an earlier version of this article, Dick Horner&#8217;s first name was incorrectly spelled as Dirk. The text has been updated to reflect the correct spelling.
8/21/25 (9:27 a.m. CDT)- <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/bush-fellow-to-explore-culturally-attuned-investment-strategies-for-fellow-creatives">Bush fellow to explore culturally attuned investment strategies for fellow creatives</a>
This story has been updated to clarify the chronology of two projects. The Lakota Funds launched when Pourier was with the First Nations Development Institute and the Oglala Lakota Artspace was founded much later, when she was with the First Peoples Fund.

Buffalo’s Fire is committed to accurate and factual news. We will tell our 
readers when an error has been identified, the magnitude of the error, and the 
correct information, as quickly as possible.

We distinguish between corrections (for mistakes) and clarifications (for 
vague or misleading content).

If you believe a story we have published is inaccurate, please contact the 
editorial team. You can:

Email: info@buffalosfire.com

Write to The Editor, P.O. Box 1, Halliday, N.D. 58636

Once verified, we will correct the story on the website as soon as possible. 
The fact a correction has been made will be noted at the bottom of the 
corrected story and on this page.

The correction will include the correct information, a reference to the 
incorrect information, and the time and date of the correction.

5/10/22 (12:30 p.m. CDT) – 
<a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/boom-or-bust-oil-industry-hits-north-dakota">Boom or Bust: Oil industry hits North Dakota</a> 
This story has been updated to note that McKenzie county was the 
fastest-growing county during the last 10 years, according to the most recent 
decennial census.

8/12/22 (12:20 p.m. CDT) –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/mha-nation-decriminalizes-medical-marijuana">MHA Nation decriminalizes medical marijuana </a>

This story originally misstated that Dr. Joseph Rosado treated Darian Morsette before he passed away. Rosado did not treat Morsette; he provided a medical consultation.

The story also originally reported that Kelly Hosie’s son attended a treatment center on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The center he attended is in Indiana.

8/13/25 (1:29 p.m. CDT) – <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/spirit-lake-nation-responds-to-misconduct-allegations-at-sheriffs-office-calls-out-urgent-need-for-responsive-law-enforcement">Spirit Lake Nation responds to misconduct allegations at sheriff’s office, calls out ‘urgent need’ for responsive law enforcement</a>

In an earlier version of this article, Dick Horner’s first name was incorrectly spelled as Dirk. The text has been updated to reflect the correct spelling.

8/21/25 (9:27 a.m. CDT)- <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/bush-fellow-to-explore-culturally-attuned-investment-strategies-for-fellow-creatives">Bush fellow to explore culturally attuned investment strategies for fellow creatives</a>

This story has been updated to clarify the chronology of two projects. The Lakota Funds launched when Pourier was with the First Nations Development Institute and the&nbsp;Oglala Lakota Artspace was founded much later,&nbsp;when she was with the First Peoples Fund.

Corrections and Clarifications

MMIP Reporter

Jolan Kruse

When law enforcement issues an alert that a child is abducted, nearby phones blare, vibrating as they illuminate the message: AMBER Alert. But until recently, the alerts didn’t sound for kids who were abducted on tribal land.
Now, the Amber Alert in Indian Country initiative is bringing the lifesaving alert system to Indian Country.
“We know when a child goes missing time is of the essence,” Janell Rasmussen, Amber Alert program administrator said. “It is important that we work quickly, and we aren&#8217;t looking for resources at that time, we already know what&#8217;s available.”
Amber Alert started in 1996 after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. Yet the Amber Alert wasn’t brought to Indian Country until two decades later.
The AAIC initiative, which is part of the Amber Alert Training &amp; Technical Assistance Program of the National Criminal Justice Training Center, started in 2016 after Pamela Foster’s two children were abducted on the Navajo Nation Reservation. Desperate to find her children, Foster scrambled to get an Amber Alert out, only to find the Navajo Nation didn’t have a system for such alerts.
Foster’s son was able to escape and seek help, but by the time state authorities issued an Amber Alert, 24 hours had passed, and her daughter, Ashlynne, had already been murdered.
Foster began working closely with legislators to create the Ashlynne’s Mike Law Amber Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, which made Amber Alert systems available in Indian Country and allowed tribes to become eligible for Amber Alert grants.
Because of the law, the AAIC initiative is able to dedicate one million federal dollars a year to the cause, according to Rasmussen.
AAIC provides training opportunities, resources and technology toolkits to tribal law enforcement agencies to help them prepare for when a child goes missing on tribal land. So far, AAIC has partnered with 172 tribes, with efforts to expand to all federally recognized tribes.
States such as <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/feather-alert-bill-for-mmip-cases-debated-in-north-dakota-legislature">California and North Dakota have also begun using Feather Alerts for missing Indigenous people</a>. As the crisis of MMIP becomes more publicized, some state legislators recognize the need for Feather Alerts to fill the gap.
Since tribal police cover rural communities that span large geographical areas, a response plan can help them quickly contact the appropriate jurisdictions and begin searching immediately.
“We’re focused on developing programs within tribal communities so they have a coordinated response when a child goes missing,” Rasmussen said. “It’s important that a missing child in Indian Country receives the same attention as anyone else.”
One of these programs is the Child Abduction Response Team, which creates a game plan for a rapid response to a child kidnapping. Through the AAIC website, police departments can register for response team training, and apply for CART certification or recertification.
In 2018, when Greg O’Rourke began working in Klamath, California, as the police chief for the Yurok Tribal Police Department, a Child Abduction Response Team didn’t exist in the area. AAIC staff reached out in 2021 or 2022.
“This entity was bringing awareness and they weren&#8217;t being judgmental,” O’Rourke said. “It’s sometimes easy to look at a lack of resources and pass it off and say, ‘Well you need to get this done,’ but AAIC would help tribes identify their own resources and try to work with the tribe on how they can best maximize their resources.”
In addition to forming a Child Abduction Response Team, O’Rourke implemented trauma-informed policing.
“We all come from a place of historical and intergenerational trauma,” he said. “If we don&#8217;t understand that, we can&#8217;t provide the best services. Working with Amber Alert, they saw that approach too and were gracious enough to embrace it as well.”
Currently, AAIC is working to bring their expertise to more tribes. They&#8217;ve asked O&#8217;Rourke, because of his passion for trauma-informed policing, to assist with the trainings.
Law enforcement can apply to access the training programs through the AAIC website. Training is tailored to tribal police but is also open to other jurisdictions. The website also features dozens of <a href="https://amberadvocate.org/aiic/resources/">resource guides</a> for law enforcement, parents, community members, youth workers and child advocates.
A series of videos by Bravebird, an Indigenous-led film agency, promotes the program on the AAIC website. The videos highlight Foster’s story while showcasing CART training and advanced searching technologies on the Pueblo of Pojoaque Reservation in New Mexico.
“What I learned in this beautiful project is that there are solutions,” Miranda said, adding, “There are so many different reasons why people disappear, and some of these technologies can help address it sooner before it’s too late.”
In addition to helping tribes develop a Child Abduction Response Team, AAIC is bringing CART certifications to departments. AAIC staff also connect tribal law enforcement with resources and contacts at state and federal agencies.
“I think Amber Alert is in a really good place with their contacts. They’ve done so much work and investment visiting reservations across the country,” O’Rourke said.
Now, if a child is abducted from a tribe that has partnered with AAIC, an alert will finally sound.

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Amber Alert Initiative advances across Indian Country

Senior Reporter

Brian Bull

Occasionally you’ll flip through a powwow’s schedule to see when the grand entry is, and what dance competitions are coming up. Once in a while you’ll see mention of a memorial.
There’s no reason necessarily to dress in black and prepare to express condolences (though it is good to offer a kind word in memory of the departed). In most instances, the person being remembered died months, sometimes even years, before the powwow. There is no body or casket or plot to gather around.  
“If you think about it like a remembrance, it&#8217;s probably the best way to do it,” said Vincent Gillette, who helped organize a memorial and flag raising at the 55th UTTC International Powwow for his father, G. Russell Gillette, who died on Christmas Day in 2024 at the age of 92. “And it&#8217;s not only at powwows, at least in the Northern Plains. If somebody died and they were a good basketball player, they might have a memorial basketball tournament.” 
Other memorials could commemorate Natives who were adept at playing pool, horse racing or other skills. The main thing, Gillette stressed, was getting the honored individual special recognition.
“Just so people remember them and you get their name out there, because if people don&#8217;t say their name, then they forget who they are.” (Fun fact: Gillette’s dad was originally named George Gillette Jr., but he didn&#8217;t like being called “junior” or “George,” so that’s why he changed his name to G. Russell Gillette.)
Memorials are basically short ceremonial presentations done in the name of the deceased, and often include giveaways by their surviving family. These can be traditional items like blankets, ribbon shirts/skirts, moccasins and beadwork, but can also include appliances, toys, home decor and other items the organizers wish to bestow upon attendees.
“I&#8217;ve seen anything from horses to cups or silverware or anything like that, anything in between,” said Gillette. “There isn&#8217;t a protocol as to what you&#8217;re supposed to give away. It&#8217;s just whatever you can.”
The giveaway portion may also be divided up among age groups. Elders or children may be invited first to come forward and take an item or two. It’s an unspoken rule that one shouldn’t be greedy or competitive (it’s not Black Friday) and it’s also polite to thank the family or at least nod in appreciation after participating in the giveaway. Another important protocol is to avoid critiquing the items you have acquired, as these have been provided by the deceased’s relatives at their own expense.
The relatives are also responsible for providing contest money toward the memorial specials. These typically range in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. 
G. Russell Gillette was a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and a veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force in England during the Korean War. The UTTC International Powwow conducted a flag ceremony in honor of his service on two weekend mornings. His son, Vincent, told Buffalo’s Fire that each time the flag went up, the family fed the veterans present.
“We&#8217;ll feed for two days,” said Gillette, noting that many attendees have been traveling from one powwow to the next, so it’s expensive to keep eating out. “We&#8217;ll donate to various veterans organizations that show up, so that&#8217;s going on as well.”
At many powwow memorials, there will likely be personal stories shared by a relative or surviving spouse at the beginning of the memorial. Sometimes these are coordinated by a speaker or emcee, often with a portrait of the deceased. Emotions range from somber to good-humored, but the tone is always reverent. And while mean-spirited jokes or criticism of the departed person are considered in bad taste, there can also be an honest acknowledgement of their struggles as well.
“He was a practicing alcoholic,” said Gillette of his late father. After sobering up,  Gillette’s father helped UTTC students who were struggling with addiction. He worked in chemical dependency counseling and also helped manage a halfway house on campus. Altogether, he became one of the longest serving UTTC employees, marking 45 years there.  “So he hopefully made up for all of his misgivings in his early life,” Gillette said.
He added that there’s no standard form of tribute with so many tribes, and it’s not uncommon for people to say very little about the departed person. Sometimes there’ll be a short biography that people will read during the memorial, and other times the reflections will go on. 
Memorials may also have a featured dance at the powwow, which will likely be announced by the emcee. Gillette said the memorial competition for his father was a Men’s Traditional Special held over Friday and Saturday nights, with roughly 60 dancers. Another memorial special was held for Thomas Red Bird Sr., who grew up on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation and worked as a resident assistant and educator at UTTC and Sitting Bull College until he died in July 2024 at the age of 72. And a memorial hat and boot special was held in memory of Alvin High Elk, a UTTC graduate of 1969 from the Cheyenne River Reservation and a founding member of the UTTC International Powwow who died in 2023 at 77. The contest was an all-ages competition with a $1,000 “winner take all” award.
Beyond the contest and prizes, the main emphasis of a memorial is honoring the deceased with reverence. It’s a good time for many to reflect on the role someone served within their community, and to ask oneself: What can I do to help others in the time I have left on Mother Earth?

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What is a memorial at a powwow?

Environment Reporter

Gabrielle Nelson

The smell of burgers and fries wafted through the air Saturday afternoon, as a cook from the Blue Buttes Grill food truck shouted, “Order number 5!” Rollie Knight, co-owner of the food truck, talked to powwow dancers and spectators waiting in line for their food as music boomed in the background.
“When people come to a powwow, they want good food,” said Knight, whose truck was selling Indian tacos, burgers and fries at the United Tribes Technical College International Powwow in Bismarck, North Dakota. “We just want them to have an enjoyable experience all around.” 
Knight and his brothers, White Faced Bear Roaming Fox and Farrell Knight, all citizens of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, remember eating powwow food as kids and loving it, but as adults, they felt like the food had become “subpar.” 
“And we started to feel like that was becoming a lost art or something,” Knight said over the bubbling of fryer oil. “We were like, ‘How hard is it to make a cheeseburger, seriously?’”
So in 2014, the three brothers bought a food truck and started selling fresh, made-from-scratch food — handcut fries, made-to-order frybread, homemade soups and never-frozen burgers. At that first powwow, they thought business would be lacking since they were competing against vendors who had been selling powwow food for decades, said Knight, but they ended up being one of the busiest vendors there. That initial success cemented their resolve, and they’ve been selling their fresh food at the International Powwow ever since. 
It takes a week of planning time and a trusted crew to make everything from scratch, said White Faced Bear Roaming Fox, but they’re no strangers to hard work. 
“We came from humble beginnings,” he said. “We grew up really poor, cooking our own food, hunting the land. That was our way of survival.”
Roaming Fox and his brothers learned how to make good meals with what they had — foods like wild onions, potatoes and deer meat. He said that through cooking together, they grew to love home-cooked food, and they wanted to share that with the powwow community. 
Knight said that upbringing is why they named their food truck “Blue Buttes,” the name of a landmark on the Fort Berthold Reservation where they grew up.
“We think people should be proud of where they’re from,” he said. “We like to think there’s always that connection to where you’re from. No matter where you are, there’s always a landmark or a building or family or something that people feel a connection to.”
That connection is family for a vendor selling lemonade out of a school bus parked kitty-corner to the Blue Buttes Grill. Jeff Baker, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, opened Rez Famous Lemonades with his daughter when she was in middle school. 
“Originally it was her idea,” he said. “We worked on our original recipe and just started running from there.”
Now, Baker has been selling lemonade at powwows for around 25 years. He is known for his white school bus with “REZ FAMOUS LEMONADES” printed front and center in bold stencil letters over a faded “United Tribes Technical.” Strapped to the windows are handmade yellow cardboard menus that name lemonade flavors like blue “rez” berry, grape granny gangsta and crabby apple sour named after my ex. 
Baker also sells his unique lemonades at car shows and other events, but powwows are his main squeeze.
“That’s our people. We enjoy it,” he said, and then added, “It gets us outside.” 
A short walk away, another family-run business was selling acai bowls, smoothies and cold drinks. Beef and Jessica Archambault and their daughters, Saydee, 17, and Adlee, 12, started the Beaded Cup last year with a pop-up tent and a table. 
“It was real unshika (pitiful),” said Beef. “But we saw the potential that it had.” 
Jessica is an enrolled citizen of the Apsáalooke Nation and Beef, Saydee and Adlee are enrolled citizens of the Assiniboine Tribe from Fort Belknap. After their first powwow, the Archambaults bought a food truck, and, in May, started selling out of the parking lot of a local college in Poplar, Montana. This was the Beaded Cup’s first year at the International Powwow. 
Beef said they started the Beaded Cup with their daughters’ futures in mind, so they always have a way to make money. 
“Let’s give them something to do and make them earn it,” he said. “They’ll always have this.” 
Both his daughters helped take and prepare orders on Saturday at the powwow. His oldest daughter, Saydee, is saving up for a car, said Beef, and has already put aside $4,000 from working at the food truck.
For Native-run food businesses, powwows present an opportunity to financially support their families and share their passion for good food. As the 2025 UTTC International Powwow came to a close on Sunday, all three vendors packed up and drove off the tribal college campus with a lighter truck and heavier wallets, likely planning for their next powwow.

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Powwow food vendors essential to savoring the experience

The success of any powwow doesn’t just depend on the organizers, it also relies on people being considerate, polite and mindful of others. Whether you’re a diehard devotee of the Powwow Highway or a first-time visitor, we asked a few Natives at the 2025 UTTC International Powwow to share their favorite advice on making the event a good time for all involved.
And on the note of proper powwow etiquette, check out Buffalo Fire’s Teresa Lamsam’s excellent guide for further tips!
Video produced by Buffalo’s Fire senior reporter Brian Bull.
See also our <a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/powwow-etiquette">powwow etiquette explainer</a>.

Powwow dos and don’ts

At the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) International Powwow in Bismarck, we spoke with three artisans about the creative journeys behind their beadwork, fashion, and cosmetics.
Here’s what they shared.
<h3>Dawn Yazzie (Navajo)</h3>
Dawn Yazzie grew up collecting corn and juniper seeds, meticulously stringing them together with her small hands to create necklaces, earrings, whatever jewelry her imagination led her to.
When her mother did laundry at the trading post, Yazzie went along and sold her jewelry to help her mother cover laundry costs.
“I was born an entrepreneur,” Yazzie joked.
Now Yazzie creates and sells beautifully crafted rings, dream catchers and more. 
This year is her second year selling her art at the United Tribes Technical College International Powwow Sept. 5 &#8211; 7 in Bismarck, North Dakota. She came all the way from the Navajo Nation Reservation in Northern Arizona.
Her beading isn’t just business, Yazzie said, it’s spiritual.
“Sometimes you make something, and it runs its own force,” Yazzie said. “You don’t just sit nine to five. You have to feel it.”
Yazzie uses stones of various colors, each with their own spirits and energies. Mixing stones together creates powerful meaning, she said. Her favorite combination is turquoise and coral, which she said represents balance.
“That’s the basis of our (Navajo) belief system, it’s what we strive for every day,” Yazzie said. “In the Navajo way with art you don’t overdo it or exploit it. We protect it.”
Because of this belief, Yazzie does not allow photos to be taken of her or her art.
<h3>Lauren Good Day (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara)</h3>
Lauren Good Day grew up dancing in the UTTC powwow, a tradition she has since passed on to her three kids, whom she proudly watches from her booth.
She has been surrounded by art &#8211; and powerful female artists &#8211; since she was a baby. Her grandmother sewed moccasins and her mother sewed powwow regalia.
When she was a teenager, she also sewed powwow regalia and sold it locally to the community. As a citizen of the MHA Nation, Good Day wanted to bring Native art, made by a Native, to other Natives.
Her love of art led her to paint and do beadwork.. She gained wide recognition, she said, explaining that her art has been featured in local interpretive centers and the North Dakota State Historical Society as well as at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
But paintings are expensive and take time to create. Good Day also wanted something affordable that community members could wear with pride.
She launched her <a href="https://laurengoodday.com/">fashion brand Lauren Good Day</a> in 2018, featuring her art collections on wearable items such as shirts, dresses and skirts.
Like Yazzie, Good Day said selling art runs deeper than business.
“The clothing is not just business,” Good Day said. “It shares culture with our people.”
<h3>Cece Meadows (Yoeme)</h3>
Through social media, Good Day connected with another Native business owner, Cece Meadows in 2021. They met in person a year later and have been friends and business partners ever since.
Meadows owns a cosmetic company called <a href="https://pradosbeauty.com/">Prados Beauty</a>, which can be found online and in more than 600 retail stores, most recently JCPenny. Like Good Day, Meadows is proud to bring her products to Native communities.
“I want to show the world what it means to be Indigenous people,” Meadows said. “It’s a beautiful thing to blend cultures and uplift each other.”
Meadows travels to the powwow from New Mexico to visit her friend and display her cosmetics in a booth shared with Good Day.
“Community over competition,” Meadows said. “We’re still here, we’re not people of the past, and we make cool things people can take pride in wearing.”

For powwow vendors, art runs deeper than business

At 1 p.m. sharp on Sept. 6, Prairie Public Radio station director Ann Alquist and Buffalo’s Fire senior reporter Brian Bull went live, collaborating to cover the UTTC International Powwow from a tent pitched on the edge of the Lone Star Veterans Arena.
Interviews, stories and live coverage included discussions of the purpose of the flag raising, the importance of grand entry, the history of the UTTC powwow and the role of the arena director and veterans.
Among the interviewees were Buffalo’s Fire founder and executive director Jodi Rave Spotted Bear (Mandan, Hidatsa, Mniconjou Lakota), Documenter’s Program site manager Daniela Aki (Hunkpapa Lakota and Mexican American) and Justin Young (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara), chairman of the powwow committee.
Buffalo’s Fire and Prairie Public are modeling partnership as funding cuts imperil rural and tribal news coverage.
“Things continue to be shaken up and reinvented here,” Bull said.

Buffalo’s Fire and Prairie Public Radio link for live coverage at UTTC powwow

Driven by a steady, fast drumbeat, softball players and their families marched into the field carrying their tribal flags for the grand entry of the 52nd annual United Tribes Legends Softball Tournament Sept. 5.
The “modern day warriors with a bat and a ball and a glove,” as introduced by emcee Everett “Butch” Felix Sr. (Sicangu Lakota), represented 147 teams, 43 of which played in the tournament’s Battle of Nations at the Clem Kelley Complex in Bismarck, North Dakota. Native singer and dancer Jackie Bird, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, led the procession in the spirit of solidarity.
“They’re gonna come in here with a happy heart and with pride,” said Felix Sr., encouraging the players to remember their ancestors that came before them and to honor the kinship of those beside them.
After grand entry, the United Tribes Legends Hall of Fame inducted two teams and three individuals.
The ceremony honored Jeff Smith, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and Nolan Desjarlait, Red Lake Nation, and gifted them star quilts and Hall of Fame jerseys. Wennelle Clown, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who died in April, was also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Her family accepted her gifts and donated a star quilt to this year’s Battle of Nations woman champion pitcher, the position Clown played.
Teams Lady Wokiksuye and Tongue River Softball from Montana also entered the Hall of Fame.
The players from Lady Wokiksuye, ages 14 to 65, embraced one another as they accepted their new titles and gifts. Summer Fallis-Marshall (Hunkpati Oyate), said after the ceremony that she feels lucky to play the game she loves with a team that&#8217;s as close as family.
It’s a bond they’ve strengthened while traveling across the Midwest for tournaments. Fallis-Marshall said since the players often don’t have money to buy food, she and her husband make cold meat sandwiches and bring chips and apples for the women to eat on the road.
“The struggle is what brought us all together as softball sisters,” she said.
While sharing memories about the team, Fallis-Marshall checked to make sure her parents, Jim and Pam Fallis, were staying warm in the biting September wind. About 15 years ago, her dad created Lady Wokiksuye in honor of her brother James Lawrence Fallis “Ceta Ska Hoksina” who was murdered on July 4, 2004, in Big Bend, South Dakota. Jim Fallis, who was at the time a basketball coach, and his players started the softball team and named it “wokiksuye” — “to play in remembrance of others.”
“Lady Wokiksuye will always play for the love of the game and for those who can’t play and for those who have passed on,” said Fallis-Marshall.
Players, friends and family also honored Teron Sazue, a citizen of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. Sazue studied and played basketball at UTTC. His mom, Maria Provost, and his family received a star quilt and sang as a tribute to his legacy.
The ceremony went on to honor Legends Hall of Fame player Henry Harper, a citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. James “JC” Crawford (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) who played with Harper for the Minnesota Chips, received Harper’s award.
“No matter how far we are apart,” said Crawford about players who have passed. “They’re still alive because our spirit never dies.”
The Legends Battle of Nations tournament closed out Friday night by crowning champions. “Inyan Woslal” Standing Rock Oyate won the women’s league and Sicangu Lakota Oyate won the men’s, while White Earth Nation took home the trophy for the co-ed league.

United Tribes Legends Softball Hall of Fame welcomes three players and two teams

As xenophobia raged amid World War II, about 2,000 Japanese American men were incarcerated at Fort Lincoln in Bismarck, now the United Tribes Technical College campus. Satsuki Ina, whose father was among those imprisoned there, and UTTC leaders began a conversation about how to preserve this history. On Sept. 5, Japanese American and UTTC leaders dedicated the Snow Country Prison Japanese American Memorial on the campus grounds. &#8220;It was so moving that the Native American folks wanted to adopt the story as resonant of their own,&#8221; Ina said. (Buffalo&#8217;s Fire/Brian Bull)

A shared history: memorial to Japanese American WWII inmates at Fort Lincoln

Director of Development

Erin Hoover Barnett

Anticipation rippled through the crowd as the 55th annual <a href="https://unitedtribespowwow.com/">United Tribes Technical College International Powwow</a> got underway Friday at the Lone Star Veterans Arena in Bismarck, North Dakota, at 7 p.m. Sept. 5 with the first grand entry. 
 
The International Powwow, which runs Sept. 5-7, is among the largest in the region —  and is a celebration of culture, tradition and community with dance and athletic contests, performances, memorials, vendors and more. 
 
Veterans, flag bearers, dignitaries and dancers entered and circled the sacred arena to the sound of drumming and an honor song, followed by a prayer. 
 
“All the Nations here in North Dakota welcome you,” said announcer Whitney Rencountre II (Crow Creek/Hunkpati Dakota). 

Frank Star Comes Out, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, led the sacred procession, joined by his fellow tribal chairpersons and dignitaries, from state Rep. Collette Brown and North Dakota Lieutenant Governor LaShalle Shandon to Bismarck Mayor Mike Schmitz and CEO of the Bismark-Mandan Chamber of Commerce Brenda Nagel.
Japanese American community leaders also joined in the procession, paying homage to the pursuit of justice that Japanese Americans, imprisoned and displaced during World War II, and Native Americans share. Taiko Arts Midwest put on a special drumming and dance performance following the grand entry. 
 
UTTC President Leander McDonald (Dakota/Sahnish/Hidatsa/Hunkpapa) offered a welcome and Standing Rock Sioux Chairwoman Janet Alkire, a U.S. Air Force veteran, addressed the crowd. Alkire shared how meaningful it was to her to speak at the powwow as she wraps up her term as chair.
She looked out at the gathering, the early evening sun just beginning to set. “I hope you have a wonderful weekend,” she said.

Thousands gather for start of 55th annual UTTC International Powwow

On Thursday evening, as the closing drums faded in the Bismarck Event Center, Renzo Bullhead’s family and friends gathered at Sacred Pipes Resource Center five miles away… to keep his light burning bright.
<a href="https://www.buffalosfire.com/renzo-bullheads-family-hang-on-to-hope-and-prayer-as-search-continues">Bullhead disappeared March 16</a>, his last known movements documented by security cameras on the Burlington-Northern railroad bridge.
“Every day I’m searching,” Bullhead’s grandmother Barbara Charging Cloud said. “There’s people out there that know what happened.”
The event included a prayer, updates from the family and a community meal.
As people arrive for the UTTC International Powwow starting Sept. 5, Bullhead’s family and friends are lining the street with bold-red-lettered signs spelling “Remember Renzo.” The signs are designed to stay lit at night, keeping his disappearance front of mind with so many tribal members in town and unity and community permeating as themes.
Tips with information regarding Bullhead’s disappearance can be sent to 701-667-3250. Donations can be made to the family through <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-find-renzo-bull-head">GoFundMe</a>.
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