Billings, Montana
What drew me to Montana was the seven aboriginal group that live in the state and the massive size of the reservation.
I came to Montana for the annual Crow Fair which is called “Teepee Capital of the World” with nearly 1,500 teepees during the week of Crow Fair, which is the biggest event for the Apsáalooke Nation and is currently considered the largest American Indian encampment in the United States.
It was started in 1904 and now attracts over 45,000 participants and spectators from all over North America. This festival honours tradition, and it is very similar to typical community events with things to buy, a parade, races, rodeo and other events. The biggest attraction is the dance celebration, also known as the pow wow.
It was the first time I had participated in something like this, there was so much energy in the air and the traditional dress from the different tribes was so beautiful. I also learned that to the trained observer there are different types of dances at the pow wow and many specialize in one over the other during competitions.
It was incredibly hot and I really felt for some of the kids who were wearing such heavy dress.
With so many groups attending the pow wow here you can really see the diversity in faces. But what is more interesting is that I see facial similarities amongst indigenous populations in other areas of the world. It’s almost like puzzle pieces coming together, showing us how we are all connected.
Disclosure: I was a guest of Visit Montana but they did not request I write a favourable review of Crow Fair or drain the batteries on both my camera and my phone because I was taking so many photos. It was difficult to narrow down which photos to use for this post.
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I'm Ayngelina and in my mid-thirties. I left an amazing job, boyfriend, apartment and friends to find inspiration in Latin America. I'm creating a new life choosing what I want instead of what other people think I should do.
Wow – what a great opportunity to see so many different tribes together along with their (beautiful) traditional dresses. I’d love to see that.
jill recently posted..You’ve Traveled Too Much
It’s incredible to see the diversity in their faces but also the similarity I see in other indigenous groups.
I am constantly reminded how ignorant I am about my own country.
Love the colorful costumes. Unique but also reminds me of what I have seen in other countries.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..If Portland is weird, then so am I
I feel the same way! Even the faces give a sense of familiarity with South America.
The costumes are so colorful. What a unique experience. Montana continues to amaze me.
Christy recently posted..A Claustrophobe’s Guide to Caving
And I am only seeing a fraction of it, I have already decided I need to go back!
Fabulous shots! I would have drained my battery too.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Charleston, South Carolina: A Walk Around The Low Country With My Camera
So so many photos and so hard to choose which ones were best.
Love all the colours and what beautiful kids they are. Interesting how you see the similiarities to indigenious people as I thought they looked a lot like the people we saw in Ecudor. Very striking features!
I thought the very same thing, it’s interesting just how small the world is.
Great pictures!!
Maria
Wow, I would love to see this in person. What a beautiful culture.
Ashley of Ashley Abroad recently posted..5 Expressions to Help You Survive Paris
What an incredible event. This sounds like something I’d absolutely love to witness. And the traditional costumes are fantastic. Really gorgeous.
Ceri recently posted..A Grim Warning from my Sick Bed
That is so awesome!! I love unique events like this!
Love how you captured the colorful nature of the dress!
jenjenk recently posted..Photo Friday: Greetings from Central California!
Love it!
A Cook Not Mad (Nat) recently posted..Hungarian Stuffed Peppers (or are they Turkish?)
Beautiful photos. I’ve always wanted to visit a Native American reservation, but never have (yet!). It’s such a sad part of America’s history that we would do well not to ignore.
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..Finding more than witches in Salem, Massachusetts
I definitely want to see more, the short time I had at the pow wow was really wonderful.
Gorgeous shots!! All the colours and head-dresses remind me a bit of Caribana in Toronto.
Gorgeous shots!! All the colours and head-dresses remind me a bit of Caribana in Toronto.
Oneika the Traveller recently posted..Paris Neighbourhoods: The Latin Quarter
Ten years I lived in Toronto and I still haven’t been to Caribana!
It’s very interesting and so great you want to learn something more about the history and people. Many travellers are ignorant about their own home country. They keep discovering other places on the planet without exploring their own countries properly.
I was like that a couple of years ago. Now, I’m coming back home for 2 months to travel across Poland and learn something more.
Agness (@Agnesstramp) recently posted..Dinner and Lunch with Desserts for Two in Siem Reap on a Budget ($10)
I am so guilty of this, I know very little about Canada and I really need to fix that.
I went to many pow wow’s on Mt. McKay just outside THunder Bay. I am lucky to have grown up next to a Native Reserve and experienced these traditions from a young age. Nothing as huge as this event was though!
Chrystal McKay recently posted..An Ending in Manila
I actually grew up near one too, except all I remember from my youth was that it was a cheap place to buy cigarettes. How sad.
Love it! I’d love to go to a PowWow. Once we’re back in Canada it’s a big goal of ours to travel more of North America, so much to see.
Caro recently posted..Tea and mud houses: life on a Turkish farm
The farther I got from Canada the more I realized I needed to come back and see more.
Gorgeous photos! I was in Albuquerque this spring during their large powwow and several amazing groups perform at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center: http://tinyurl.com/8j2th55
Truly a remarkable place and dancers. The event in Montana looks amazing.
Thanks for the tip, that sounds intriguing.
This looks SO COOL! I would love to attend something like this!
Amanda recently posted..Walking the Walls of Dubrovnik
There are pow wows all over North America, you just have to look for them.
What beautiful people! I’m a bit embarrassed to say that as an American I never gravitated to finding out more about native populations, nor that our school systems properly introduced us to their stories and cultures. Clearly there is much to see and learn.
Lauren H. of Sobremesa In Spain recently posted..What I Bought #2
So much for us all to learn, kind of sad that I didn’t have any interest until I became an adult and visited indigenous communities in other countries.
absolutely gorgeous shots, Ayngelina. I am sad to say that I haven’t explored much of the US, even though I’ve been an expat since 2005 (if you can say that about a Puerto Rican from the islands, haha).
I would love to see the North West, but I’m scared of the cold weather
I guess a summer this it would be a solution, eh?
Like you, I don’t know much about the Native Americans. Would love to learn more about them. Maybe this should be my next trip…domestic tourism!
- Maria Alexandra
nomadic translator recently posted..My student loan debt depression: Desperation, coping and solutions
The weather was beautiful in the Summer, although that said I am from Canada so I am accustomed to cold weather!
What stunning traditional dresses! I love your Native American blog posts…so interesting.
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