Powwow Season in Full Bloom

Harmony Kickingwoman showed off her favorite piece of regalia, a diamond back piece made by her father.

Siliye Pete said the love her family has poured into her regalia gives her comfort when she travels across the state to dance.

“Everyone knows pink is my color,” said Ms. Pete, a 24-year-old teacher. “My stepmom made the hair ties, and I made the rest of my outfit to match them. My nails were just a vibe for the summer.”

Marlin Cleveland, 6, wore an outfit similar to his father’s to participate in the Junior Fancy Dance competition.

Emberly Flat Lip, 4, chose the colors for her outfit that her mother and grandmother made.

Jewelry is Emberly’s favorite part of her outfit.

Emberly also wore a Mickey Mouse necklace purchased at the powwow.

Cecilia Spencer, 13, created her outfit with her mother. She said the gold color felt like sunshine and the floral over her heart honored her grandmother.

A dragonfly from Cecilia’s very first dance outfit is now sewn onto her purse.

Harmony, 6, and Braylin Kickingwoman, 7, chose the colors for their outfits, which their parents designed. The girls compete in dance categories at the powwows.

Thomas Addison, 14, said he has been dancing for as long as he can remember.

Rachel Arlee Bowers, 80, has been beading since she was 4 years old. She beaded the Betty Boop design on her purse.

Ansen Eagletail, 14, prepared for the procession of dancers known as Grand Entry, which marks the beginning of the competition.

Chicken dancers wear a roach, a headdress made from porcupine hair that has two curled pheasant tail feathers with colored plumes on its end.

Bob Woodcock, 59, wore a hat that belonged to a late family member.

From spring to summer, Native American families travel the country to celebrate and compete in competitions wearing intricate garments assembled across generations.

Many dancers collect pieces over their lifetime and often as they go from children to elders, their outfits grow and change with them — serving as a reflection of both their past and present selves. Many young dancers who outgrew the outfits they wore before the pandemic debuted new regalia this year. Though some were completely new creations, most included small pieces from their previous outfits, initiating the beginning of countless transformations their outfits will undergo.

“You keep putting things together, changing them and mixing it up,” said Bob Woodcock, a 59-year-old Salish traditional dancer wearing beadwork that his grandmother made for him 40 years ago, a breastplate that was a gift from his uncle and a hat that belonged to a late relative. “It takes a lifetime.”

Photographed and written for the NYT. Full story here.