Every weekend throughout the spring and summer, powwows are held in Native American community halls, campgrounds, cultural centers and traditional grounds across North America.
Families travel together, driving across the state or even across country to participate.
Months and sometimes years in advance, powwow organizing committees begin careful preparations for these events, choosing the head drum groups and head men and women dancers, the master of ceremonies, arranging to feed all the dancers and singers, raising prize money, and preparing the powwow grounds. Every powwow is shaped the experience and heritage of the committee members. Grand Entry marks the official beginning of every powwow. The dancers line up behind the 'head dancers' and 'head veterans', flag carriers and delegates from different nations, all entering the dance arena as drum groups sing traditional 'grand entry' songs. The beat of the large drum echoes like a heartbeat throughout the crowd, as the dancers enter - first the Men's Traditional, Grass and Fancy dancers, then Women's Traditional, Jingle and Fancy Shawl dancers, then children.