The annual Denver March Powwow, which has been a cultural staple in the city for decades, is making its comeback after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The 2022 rendition of the powwow is set for 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from Friday to Sunday at the Denver Coliseum. The powwow features an arts and crafts show, a music festival with drum groups and a dance competition, all with Native participants from across North America.

Grace Gillette has been executive director of the powwow since 1990 and was the event’s first and only staff member until her granddaughter, Larissa No Braid, was hired in 2020 as powwow coordinator. Gillette said participant categories for the powwow’s main festivities range in age from 6 and under to 70 and older.

The powwow is made possible with the help of its 200 to 400 volunteers, which is how No Braid became involved. She was named the 2010 Denver March Powwow Princess, which she said is a huge honor in the Native community.

“It’s just exciting to be working on a powwow after the pandemic,” No Braid said. “It’s gonna have a lot of different feelings, but they’re gonna be good feelings coming together, being able to dance and sing together and things like that.”

Sim-Sin Heavy Runner was crowned Powwow Princess in 2019 and has held the title since. While the reigning princess typically attends the powwow, Heavy Runner won’t make it to this year’s powwow because she is studying to be a nurse. No Braid said organizers still plan to crown the new princess on Sunday, but the process will be a bit different without the current princess present.

No Braid said being named princess is a large commitment, traveling around the U.S. and Canada attending powwows while representing the Denver March Powwow. Gillette said it’s amazing to see how much each princess grows and changes from their crowning to the following year’s powwow from these experiences.

“When they come back to reign over the event, the maturity in them. … It’s almost like they were a little girl when we crowned them and when they come back, they’re a young woman — a very poised young woman,” Gillette said.

This year’s powwow also won’t feature any traditional Native food for sale to ensure the safety of participants. Gillette said Aramark will serve food at the event, but no outside food will be allowed in. The powwow’s board and staff felt it was too soon to prepare and serve food in such a confined space with such heavy foot traffic. 

For Natives who don’t live on the reservation, No Braid said the Denver March Powwow is an opportunity to reconnect with their culture because of its central location among many states.

“A lot of people like to come here with their families,” No Braid said. “And then for Denver Natives, it’s also a way to reconnect with their culture.”