Competitions are held for the best traditional dwellings, and awards are presented for those which best represent the old ways. Many Native American families actually camp out in their tepees, tents, grass houses, and brush arbors, enjoying cool night air and the shade of the arbors at midday, and tourists are invited to visit and mingle with the people at this encampment. A unique sense of community develops as the Exposition progresses, built on the traditions of the extended family and tribal community, as well as the native spirit of giving, caring, and spirituality. In the play of the children, if one watches carefully, a sense of kinship may be seen developing. As vendors, tourists, and Indian people from the area mingle at the exhibits, the concessions, and the other events at the Exposition, barriers vanish and people become people.
Families talk and laugh and share stories with each other.
Meals eaten together produce camaraderie, and native and non-native communities meet and become more familiar to each other, sharing the spirit of Native America. To reserve yours, print the forms here, complete them and mail them with the fee to the Exposition at P.O. Box 1583, Anadarko, OK 73005. Click on the appropriate button below to bring up the form you need.