The first nation’s spirit and traditions were kept alive in dance and music at its nineth-annual powwow.

Among 40 vendors, many nations were represented, such as Menomonie, Winnebago, Navajo, Flat Head and Cherokee. Items sold included authentic Native American jewelry, pottery, clothing, wooden instruments, pipe tobacco, CDs of Native American music and herbal teas and seasonings. All of these items hold spiritual and cultural meaning.

Pamela Best Minick, of Aurora, brought artwork from the Cherokee nation. Among the artwork were her “Tsi la gi i gi do” trading dolls.

Minick was adopted not knowing her Cherokee heritage. As it became known to her, she felt the pull of her people. The dolls result of love and no two dolls are alike.

They will comfort you if you care for them, Minick said.

Other important items were the dancing sticks and fans. Comprised of feathers and beads, both are used for prayer, blessing and cleansing in tribal dancing.

Special sticks are made of animal skulls and skins and are used for cleansing.

“In the Indian religion, you usually link yourself, for some reason, to an animal,” said vendor Dan Riegler of the Cutter Creek Company. “It’s either passed down through the family, or you’ve experienced something yourself, or you’ve had a dream about the animal.”

One of the highlights of the powwow was the Grand Entry, consisting of 300 dancers and eight drummers. Dancers came from Chicago and surrounding suburbs and Michigan and represented several nations.

“The powwow is a time to celebrate our accomplishments since we last met,” said Meredith Larson, president of N.A.T.I.O.N.S.

The Grand Entry started out by honoring veterans and their family.

“It’s important to respect warriors because they weren’t just about fighting but protecting and honoring their people,” Larson said.

One veteran was moved to tears by the show of appreciation.

“We weren’t thanked when we were in,” said Gray Eagle of Bloomington. “It feels good to be welcomed home.”

After the veteran’s dance, head dancers Nick Hockings and Nicole Larson led the dancers and crowd in intertribal dances.

Among those who joined were Minick and her foster child. The child was singled out by being danced into the circle because it was her first powwow. Among others was Deborah Black, a former teacher from LaGrange, Ill.

Black traces her ancestry back to the Mi’Kmaq nation, presently in Quebec, Canada. Her Southern ceremonial women’s cloth regalia consisted of a long, green gown with pink satin rosebuds embroidered on the sleeves and skirt. Black carries a picture of her late mother to every powwow she attends.

“I honor her spirit in my spirit and all my relations,” Black said. She wore a silver and turquoise ring and bracket passed down to her from her mother.

As Black danced in the circle, she synchronized herself with every beat of the Shki Bmaadzi drums.

“You won’t see me dance like any other woman here,” Black said.

As she slowly moved along the floor, she swayed her pale green beaded purse and shawl back and forth. She bowed and waved her deer fan around the circle as the honor beats were drummed.

“I try to be traditional as much as I can,” Black said. “I guess it’s the teacher in me, I need all the T’s crossed and I’s dotted.”

This is the 10th powwow Black has been to this year.

“Its a time to see old friends and make new friendships,” Black said.

Among other women dressed in regalia were the jingle dancers, whose dress consisted of several bells made of folded tin. The story behind the regalia is based on a dream a man had about a healing for his daughter, Meredith Larson said.

A prayer is said every day throughout the year and and each bell is a representation of that prayer.

“When they dance, it’s the sound of prayers,” Larson said.

A common feature of the many types of regalia are the sacred eagle feathers.

“They are sacred because the eagle is a messenger from the creator and an eagle feather represents a warrior,” said Nicole Larson.

The feathers are given great respect.

“If it ever falls, there’s a special ceremony to pick up the feather because it’s like a fallen warrior,” Larson said.

Before the second grand entrance, the Quetzal-Yolotl graced the crowd with their traditional Aztec dancing and music. Each dancer represented the planets revolving around the sun, which was a drum in the center of their circle.

“When I make dance it means hope,” said Roberto Ferreyra, head dancer of the Yolotl. “It means meeting with the Great Spirit and feeling sense of everything like air, wind and mother earth.”

Adam Papadolias, an English teacher and powwow dancer, hoped that those who attended realized the welcoming nature of Native Americans. He was adopted into a Native American family after being encouraged by one of his students to learn more about Native American culture.

“You choose your relatives and you choose your families,” he said. Papadolias appreciates the close ties he shares with his new family and friends.

Liz Rickert of Oregon, a 1971 NIU graduate, studied Native American culture. She was glad to see so many families not only learn about the culture, but participate in it as well.

“I think this was done very respectively,” she said. “There’s so much to learn. This is a great service to bring this to the Midwest.”