Fredericksburg Inter-tribal Powwow
Fredericksburg, Texas

When: mid-May

Where: 1606 East Main at Fort Martin Scott Historic Site

Every second weekend in May, the thunderous pounding of a drum calls 150 tribal dancers from 10 nations to the grounds of an historic Fredericksburg site for a three-day tribute to tradition. In the shadow of Fort Martin Scott, today a museum alive with memories of frontier life, participants gather to dance in the footsteps of their ancestors as the public looks on.

Attractions: Sheep bells dangling from the ankles of contestants ring rhythmically as performers participate in the men's fancy dress competition. Men also pay homage to their heritage with grass, traditional and straight dances. Women move their feet to the beat in a series of cloth and buckskin dances as well as the fancy shawl dance, in which imagination transforms the fluttering fabric of the shawl into the delicate wings of a butterfly, and the jingle dance, in which the sound of the snuff can lids sewn on to a fringe-enhanced dress keeps dark forces at bay. Young dancers also honor the ways of their forefathers as boys and girls compete in the Junior division.

Children will enjoy a storyteller's tales of Native American lore, while adults peruse for purchases at the many arts and crafts booths.

For more information:
• visit www.fredericksburgintertribalpowwow.org