Episode 8 - Pow Wow

Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow

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We stayed around Laughlin, dry camping at the Avi Casino and Resort, in order to take in the Pow Wow - a big annual event there. Avi is actually on Indian lands and is owned and operated by the Mojave Tribe. There are lots of casinos throughout Arizona and California but they can only be built on Indian lands and most are owned and operated by the various Tribes. According to my intelligence (a couple who were standing behind me in the line up. He was Mojave from Fort Mojave and she was Navajo from North-eastern Arizona-I want to get up there next year), their political and tribal structure is far different than ours. Apparently they do not have Bands and the foundation structure is the Tribe. Most of the Indians down there live in the local towns and not separately on a Reservation. There are some villages in California and Arizona, but very few.

Anyway, back to the Pow Wow. This should have been a video experience but I did the best I could with the still camera. Most of these pictures were taken at the Grand Parade as the dancing competitions were held at night and we were asked not to use flashes. There was Tribal representation from across the southern U.S. - we talked to some folks from Texas - but most seemed to be from California.

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The costumes were incredible!

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The children were priceless!