Ann Arbor PowWow

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After the Grand Entry comes a series of contests, broken down by age (Tiny Tots all the way up to Golden Age) and dance style, of which there are six (Men's Traditional, Men's Grass, Men's Fancy, Women's Traditional, Women's Jingle Dress, and Women's Fancy Shawl). Some dancers approach a judging stand so that the judges can note the numbers pinned to their distinctive handmade regalia (don't call them costumes, the program book advises). Winners are selected and brought out for encores.

A lot of other things are going on as the dancers compete. Along with the competitions, groups of drummers (referred to as "members" of a specific drum) also accompany intertribal dances, sort of general promenades in which the non-Native visitors are also invited to participate (few did when I was there). Individual drum groups have come from as far as Nova Scotia, North Carolina, and Kansas, although the head veteran, MC, head dancers, and head judges are all from Michigan.