Valley Natives is an organization devoted to building a strong sense of community among the native and non-native people with an emphasis on indigenous culture and knowledge.

Valley Natives fosters an urban Native community and coordinates to collectively provide information, resources, cultural awareness, and educational news.

The Valley Natives organizes and correlates by the enlightenment of activities, social functions, such as entertainment, conventions, and workshops.

Events provide an informal and safe place for people to gather and dialogue around important issues; to connect with others within the community who are equally concerned about the state of the world and to have the opportunity to be exposed to new ideas.


Valley Natives is designed for urban Natives to mobilize as one community. The late Vine Deloria Jr. wrote the the young Urban population are going to retribalize using the methods of our ancestors. By sharing events we can use the resources of our location to socialize and form new relationships based on kinship values.
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Women's Jingle Dress - 2014 Gathering of Nations PowWow Albuquerque, NM

Origin of the jingle dress is attributed to three different Ojibwa communities: the Mille Lacs, Red Lake Band of Chippewa and the Whitefish Bay Ojibwe.

In both the Mille Lacs and Whitefish Bay versions, the dress and the dance appeared in a recurring vivid dream that was realized about the year 1900. In both versions, the dream came to a Midewinini. In both dreams, there were four women, each wearing a jingle dress and dancing.

Each dream also gave instructions on how to make the dresses, what types of songs went with them and how the dance was to be performed. In the Mille Lacs' version, the Midewinini upon awakening, with his wife made four dresses.


He showed his wife how to dance in the dress, which he showed to the four women he had dreamed about, by calling the four women who in his dream wore them, dressed them in the dresses, brought them forth at a dance, told the people about the dream, and how the way the Midewikweg were to dress and dance.

Gathering of Nations 2014 is underway, and in this instant-update age that means the scenes from Albuquerque are flooding the Native internet.

Using the hashtag #gon2014 (and others) those on the scene are sharing their images on Instagram and giving the rest of us a flavor for the proceedings. Can't be there? Check out this gallery, or watch the GON livestream, and we have a feeling you'll get an early start on making your plans for next year. (Source)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Pre-Powwow Performances on Arena Floor & Stage 49. Bullet Drum Roll Call 11:45 am

Grand Entry of Dancers – Invocation Bullet Hand Drum Contest (Saturday Afternoon ONLY) NOON – 3:00pm Competition Dancing for Golden Age, Juniors & Teens Categories, Tiny Tots Contest (Saturday Only!) Bullet Drum Contest.

Red Thunder Rolling Motorcycle Riders Arrive 2:00 pm Bullet Specials Contests, Giveaways & Honoring the 2014


Gathering of Nations Head Dancers. 3:00pm

Final Gourd Dance. 5:00pm

Bullet Final Grand Entry of Dancers – Invocation 6:00pm Final moments for Out-Going 2013-2014 Miss Indian World Kansas K. Begaye 7:00pm Bullet Crowning of the New Miss Indian World 2014-2015.

Announcement 2014 GON Elders, Tiny Tots, Golden Age & Junior Winners. 8:00pm – ? Bullet Competition Dancing & Singing continued for Adult Categories and Drum Contest Continues. Announce 2014 GON Teens, Adults & Drums Winners. (Source)

Tips To A Good Time!

Should an eagle feather fall during the dancing, Everything must stop until a proper returning of the feather has been performed. During this time all video recoding and photography should stop until the the retrieval of a fallen eagle feather

Pay extra attention to the Master of Ceremonies (MC), various announcements and Etiquette is announced about the event and type of dances

Dances are either for men or women and competitions generally are divided by age categories

Please do not touch the dancers Eagle Feathers, Bustles, Plumes or Fans. You will find that most dancers are friendly and willing to answers your questions about their regalia.


Regalia is not to be called "costumes". Much thought, time, energy and expense goes into the making of each regalia. Often pieces of the regalia are family heirlooms. Frequently they these heirlooms are extremely delicate and irreplaceable.


Finally, Have A Good Time! Native American powwows are social events. Don't be afraid to ask questions and engage in conversation .
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More than three decades ago, the drum group Northern Cree made its unlikely and accidental debut in 1982 on Idaho’s Nez Perce reservation. The 53-year-old Wood, a founding member, has seen the group grow from three members to nearly 60, and its music now reaches audiences from London’s Trafalgar Square to the isolated villages of northern Canada.

One of the brothers borrowed a drum from a local museum and they performed songs they learned from their father and uncles. When the arena director asked for the name of the group, they looked down at the drum, which read in faded letters, “Northern Cree.”

Wood credits the group’s success to the drumbeat, which speaks to everyone, regardless of their background, he said. “No matter where they come from, they’ve heard that song somewhere else before,” he said. “It was in the womb with their mother, and they can relate to it.”


Wood has seen the drum connect with people all over North America and beyond. During pow wow season, which runs from May to September, the group plays almost every weekend. As the group continues to gain momentum, Wood hopes the larger music industry is paying attention.

Wood believes the best part about Northern Cree is connecting with people.

“It’s a gift to be touching people we’ve never even met,” he said. “When you can help people feel better, it really is a source of healing. It’s hard to put this into words: We let our drum do the talking for us.”
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Native drumming and singing welcomed visitors to the The 19th Annual Benefit Pow Wow at the Bluebonnet Ballroom.

Vendors were selling authentic clothing, books and CDs about Native American culture. With native dance competitions, a hand drumming competition and storytelling, the ballroom was alive with culture.

The smell of fry bread wafted through the room as people watched Native Americans proudly display their heritage.

The pow wow raised money for the Native American Student Association scholarship and brought in people from all over Texas and as far as Oklahoma. The event was held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m Saturday.
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HEAD STAFF
Head Singer — Lance Tachawickah
Head Man Dancer — Kasey Reynolds
Head Lady Dancer — Melissa Guerrero
Head Gourd Dancer — Timothy Yellowfish
MC — Michael Burgess
AD — Harold Rogers
Head Boy — Samual Ybarra
Head Girl — Tay-Wisty Edmonds
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UT Arlington NASA Powwow from darryl lauster on Vimeo.