The American Indian Exposition is full of
events focused on celebrating the rich heritage of each individual tribe and
Native American culture as a whole. These events are spread across the weeklong
program, with each day packed full of activities that create a unique fusion of
Indian heritage and modern entertainment.
Parades
One of the most anticipated events of the
exposition is the parade, which is said to be the largest American Indian
parade in Oklahoma. This parade winds through the streets of Anadarko,
highlighting the rich Native American history of the city and country. Each
year the parade boasts a different theme.
The sponsoring tribes and Indian veterans all
participate in the parade. Each of the sponsoring tribes marches in the parade
with their tribal Princess being honored in addition to floats created by
tribal members, dancers that perform at each Street corner, drumming, and
horses. The parade lasts about an hour and loops around to end back where it began.
Handicrafts
Traditional Native American handicrafts are an
important part of Indian heritage. This makes the arts and crafts exhibits and
competitions some of the most important activities of the entire exposition.
Artists often sell their work at the exposition and offer live demonstrations
on how they create their handicrafts.
A wide variety of handicrafts, art, and crafts can be found at the American Indian Exposition. Artists bring jewelry made of silver and precious stones, paintings, sculptures, pottery, leatherwork, beaded jewelry weaving, costumes, dream catchers, etc.
When you’re done with the handicrafts the cleanup can be extremely messy. We’ve gone as far as working with a dumpster company like Buffalo dumpster rental, and they’ve made the cleanup process real easy. A good dumpster rental company is going to make your life way easier!
Traditional Dancing
Throughout the exposition, there are numerous
opportunities to enjoy traditional Native American dances. There are dance
exhibitions as well as dance competitions to enjoy. These dances are complete
with traditional costumes.
Many different dance styles are performed at
the American Indian Exposition each year including traditional, fancy, war, and
other dance styles. Dancing includes members of all ages from tiny tots to
seniors. For competitions, winners will receive cash prizes.
Tribal Princesses
Tribal princesses for each of the sponsoring
tribes are honored with a special ride in the exposition parade. Each tribe
will pick a new princess annually to represent them at the exposition. A
princess must embody all that is good about the tribe’s culture and possess
strong leadership qualities, personality, and poise. The tribal princess will
represent the tribe at the exposition, will participate in special dances, and
will also serve as tribal Princess throughout the year. They will also
participate in a Princess Pageant where they will dress in full regalia,
telling the story of their tribal nation, culture, and history.
Miss American Indian
Exposition
The exposition also has a “Miss American Indian
Exposition” competition. This competition is open to any young American Indian
woman wanting to enter. The winner of this competition is given a scholarship
and serves as a mentor for a young woman. The purpose of this competition is to
promote education amongst Native American girls.