Love, loss on the powwow trail
By TRAVIS COLEMAN
Tribune Staff Writer
They call it "snagging."
For some, it means a weekend fling.
For others, it means landing a steady boyfriend or girlfriend.
And although its meaning varies, the idea of snagging is as synonymous with powwows to some as the dancing and singing.
Thousands attended the 54th annual North American Indian Days in Browning on Friday for a powwow and traditional games.
And others, like Bruce Dog Taking Gun of Great Falls, came looking to snag.
Dog Taking Gun, 17, said he was raised around powwow culture, and snagging is a big part of it.
So is falling in love.
Thirty-eight-year-old Charles Robinson of Nashville, Tenn., met his wife, Siouxsan Robinson, at a powwow in Vancouver, British Columbia, a year ago.
Thirty-five-year-old David Madera of Spokane Valley, Wash., met his fiancee at a rodeo powwow in Billings three years ago.
Henrietta and Ardelle Scalplock of Sacramento, Calif., met at a powwow in Washington state nine years ago and are now married.
The Scalplocks have three children — Noralene, Celeste and Macy — who travel with them to powwows.
The couple brings their kids along to introduce them to their culture, Henrietta said.
They're also teaching their girls to be smart and take pride in themselves.
While the powwow grounds in Browning are alcohol-free, Henrietta said she has seen many young women get caught up in alcohol, drugs and bad relationships in the powwow scene.
"Teenage girls fall in love with these guys," said 31-year-old Allison Talis of New York. "And they wait all year to see them."
Henrietta looks to empower her daughters.
"I make sure these girls have their own minds," she said.
Finding romance remains a large part of powwows, but the concept of snagging is universal, said Madera, of Washington state.
Relationships often develop when people are in constant contact or company with one another, like they are at powwows, Madera said.
And the pitfalls are the same, regardless of race or ethnicity.
When a singer or dancer leaves their spouse at home when they hit the powwow trail, relationships can get complicated.
Madera, who previously was married for 13 years, noticed women approaching him frequently after his separation.
Word apparently travels fast on the trail, Madera said.
Native singers and dancers have a lot in common, as well, creating a natural conversation starter, Madera said.
Unfortunately, many have lost husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends and crushes along the trail.
But despite the risk of heartbreak, the tradition of snagging continues.
Reach Tribune Staff Writer Travis Coleman at (406) 791-1477 or e-mail Travis Coleman
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Special thanks to Bea Woodward for the lead.
Last updated on July 10, 2005