Powwow adds zest to Days of '47 fest

The Native American celebration in Liberty Park celebrated Utah's heritage, LDS and otherwise.

The celebration included a dancing competition, traditional food and face painting. The festivities centered on the dancing.

The dancers dressed in traditional American Indian clothing, complete with headdresses and feathers, and competed in the jingle dance, the butterfly dance and traditional dance. Dancers ranged from young children, toddlers in the tiny tots group, to older adults.

Hundreds of community members joined in the festivities. Tuesday was the first Pioneer Day celebration for Jacqui Dvorak, who recently moved to Salt Lake City from Chicago.

"I love the drums and music but especially the drums," she said.

Members of American Indian tribes throughout the West come to Liberty Park for the yearly celebration and competitions. The Navajo tribe is the largest represented, but members of Piute, Shoshone and Apache tribes also attended this year.

"We come up every year," said Irene Marie George from Tuba City, Ariz.

George's grandson and nephews compete in the dancing. The dances differ somewhat between tribes, but they are mostly uniform, George said.

The majority of attendees were not American Indians, but they enjoyed the entertainment and cultural experience.

"The Native American culture is interesting," said Mike Scholes of Salt Lake City. He also said he enjoys that the community endorses the celebration.

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com