AMHERST COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Drums throbbed like heartbeats across the ring where dancers spun and swirled Saturday at the Monacan Indian Nation’s 30th Annual Powwow.

To a new onlooker, the dances may seem random and chaotic, but each style is an art: years of work and dedication spent mastering the intricate steps accompanying the rhythm of drums and singers.

For three decades the tribe has hosted the event in Central Virginia. The Monacan Indian

Nation, a federally recognized sovereign tribe, is headquartered in Amherst County, where nearby Bear Mountain overlooks the powwow site.

Although the Monacan Nation was certainly present at the powwow, Indigenous people from across the continent also participated in the event. The dance categories reflected the tribal diversity so that all Indigenous dancers could participate.

What each dancer wore in the ring depended on the kind of dance they were performing and what tribe each dancer is from. Some of the regalia were large and colorful with feathers and beads, while others wore more muted tones.

For the Jingle Dancers, small bell-like cones fastened to the ornate skirts release a rattling beat along with the drums. The regalia can weigh up to thirty extra pounds, so to pull off the graceful dance well is no small feat.

The dancers range across all ages, from small kids to elders. Many of the children took the opportunity to learn and practice during the powwow dances as the next generation of Indigenous dancers. Kaleigh Pollak said she was once one of the kids learning how to dance. Pollak grew up in the area and has been serving on the Powwow Committee along with her mom and grandmother since 2019, but she started dancing when she was just in middle school.

Although the ambiance of the event felt like a celebration, an undercurrent of sorrow ran through the gathering–a shadow often felt among Native communities.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement (MMIW) advocates for the disproportionate number of Indigenous women and girls who face violence and atrocities.

A special MMIW dance was held at the powwow to recognize the issue. Some of the participants wore regalia featuring a red handprint—the symbol that represents those who have not come home to their families.

MMIW is one of the many issues Pollak says can be represented at powwows. Although MMIW is something she said has not affected her own family directly, it’s an issue that needs to be in the conversation.

“I think it’s important to raise the awareness on different issues or traumas that the Native people have experienced since first contact, and MMIW is a big one,” she said.

MMIW was only one of the important acknowledgments of the day; simply the milestone 30th anniversary of the powwow was cause for celebration. One thing Pollak said was special about this year was the increased number of vendors who set up shop.

The event orbits around the dance ring, with a massive arc of vendor tents spread around the area. Visitors browsed the stalls, where Native artists offered jewelry, art, fur pelts, and a myriad of other items.

The location is ideal for the powwow–a blessing Pollak doesn’t overlook after the days when they had to rent a cowfield in Elon to hold the event.

“We would have to get out there a month prior and prep this cowfield in order for us to have powwow. So now that we have our own parcel of property, we can kind of set things up how we want,” she said.

Although the Monacan Indian Nation was on the land long before anyone else, it wasn’t until 2021 that the tribe was able to reclaim land of their own once more in Amherst County. That’s where the powwow has been held for the past two years.

Throughout the day, a large crowd was gathered around in camp chairs and makeshift hay bale seats to watch the dancing. For those attending a powwow for the first time, Pollak says the event should be approached from the perspective of respect and wanting to learn.

“It’s okay to ask questions,” she said. “Just be respectful in what you’re asking.”

She said the dancers are willing to talk to the public about what they wear and what it means to them and their people, but the key to that relationship is respect.

“Most tribes try to put on powwows to educate the general public about the Indigenous community that they inhabit and to raise awareness about things going on in their tribe or in Indian Country, like MMIW,” she said.

But she also said to come to have fun. There’s plenty of food, music, vendors and dancing–something for everyone.

If you missed the powwow on Saturday, the gates open again at 10 a.m. on Sunday for the second day of the Moncan Indian Nation’s 30th Annual Powwow. Visit their website HERE for more information.