'You've earned that right': Feathered headdress special highlights Expo powwow at Convention Center

May 25—Dressed in feathered headdresses and colorful, traditional tribal regalia, a small group of Native Americans spaced the floor and danced in front of a large, mostly standing crowd Saturday night at the Spokane Convention Center.

Dave BrownEagle hosted the "Feathered Headdress and Straight-Up Headdress" special as part of an Expo '74 anniversary powwow.

BrownEagle, a 75-year-old Spokane resident, said he was given the power to perform Native American dances, honoring the drum, song and those people who are unable to dance, since he was 6 years old. However, he did not participate Saturday.

"You're dancing for them and they're appreciating that, and for the little kids, they're looking at you and going, 'Wow, I'd like to dance like that someday,'" BrownEagle said.

BrownEagle said he wanted to honor the feathered headdresses that different tribes wear during Saturday night's special.

"We're sharing our cultures as tribal people," BrownEagle said.

BrownEagle has a "straight-up" feathered headdress in which the eagle feathers are aligned in a circular fashion and stand vertically.

"For me to have a headdress of that style is an honor in itself," he said.

The straight-up style can't be worn by anyone. It must be earned.

"It's more than just putting on some feathers and saying, 'I do this,'" he said. "It's a process."

BrownEagle said six elders granted him the honor to wear the straight-up headdress.

"Each one of them said, 'Yes, you've earned that right. You've carried yourself well,'" he said.

The dancers moved at their own pace and style to two songs before judges announced the top three performers, who were given jackets and cash prizes.

BrownEagle, a military veteran, asked the hundreds of people in the audience to stand for the first song to honor the well-respected dancers and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in light of Memorial Day on Monday.

"Acknowledge those people that sacrificed, served and died, so we can have things like this," he said.

Bobbie White, powwow committee chair, called BrownEagle, a powwow committee member, extremely "knowledgeable" and "respectful."

White said the headdress special is "awesome" and a rare occurrence unless visiting certain tribal regions, like BlackFeet country.

"I think him bringing out this headdress is something that we haven't seen here in a long, long time," White said.

She said thousands of people filed through the Convention Center doors Saturday to see about 400 dancers from various tribes dance in their colorful regalia.

Cedric Earthboy, a 27-year-old from Pablo, Montana, was one of the dancers who participated in the grand entry.

Earthboy, a grass dancer, said this was his third powwow since March. He's back to doing what he loves since undergoing heart surgery about a year and a half ago.

"It feels good to come back out here and dance," he said.

He said a powwow brings happiness, energy and healing to people.

"It just kind of takes you away from everything," Earthboy said. "It just makes you feel good when you dance."

The powwow continues Sunday at the Convention Center. Doors open at 10 a.m. with grand entry at noon to 5 p.m., followed by a dinner break and another grand entry from 6-11.