Drummers and dancers descended upon Walla Walla last weekend for the Waluulapum Warriors Pow-Wow. The first pow-wow in Walla Walla in two years attracted a large and extremely varied audience, considering it was a moderately small pow-wow in its first year.

“It’s really welcoming and a really cool experience to watch. And it’s neat to see all the different ages that compete,” said Annie Horman, a Whitman first-year, of her first ever pow-wow.

“I’ve been to tons of pow-wows. I’m not dancing this time: usually I dance,” said Whitman first-year Annette Sampson.

Everyone from young children to elderly grandparents took the floor in elaborate attire to celebrate the Native American community and compete for the $13,550 in prize money handed out to the top dancers and drummers.

“If there’s a good host drum then there’s going to be lots of people, lots of dancing,” said Sampson.

Aside from the drums, dancing and outfits, the main attraction of pow-wows is “the sense of community,” said Nijone Lockhart, who usually attends one pow-wow per month where she sells her handmade jewelry. “Even though you all come from different places there’s that sense of family…it’s like this nice little spider web of people.”

The first Waluulapum Warriors Pow-Wow proved very successful. “They’re wanting to have it again, so we’ll see,” said Arleta Sampson, Annette’s grandmother, who helped organize the pow-wow. ” It’s definitely a lot of fun.”