Mid-winter powwow opens Life and Dignity Week at University of Mary

Dancers in colorful regalia filled the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, on Sunday during a mid-winter powwow that marked the start of the university’s Life and Dignity Week, according to KFYR.

The University of Mary hosted the event alongside Bismarck State College and United Tribes Technical College. Dancers competed in traditional, grass, jingle, fancy and other categories.

“The powwow brings a lot of celebration and it’s an opportunity for not only our Indigenous people to come and dance and socialize, but also to share our culture,” Jessie Taken Alive-Rencounter, a dancer in the powwow, told KFRY.

According to Lucy Spooner, coordinator of mission for life at the University of Mary, more than 60 participants pre-registered for the event. Life and Dignity Week continues through Friday, according to the university.