Powwow through the Lens
May 15, 2014
For 33 years, photographers have snapped countless images over the two days of the Plains Indian Museum Powwow.
Some are spontaneous, others formal portraits of dancers or elaborate overviews of the of the color and movement within the dance arena. Photographer Ken Blackbird’s powwow images are used each year by the Center’s staff for archival purposes (to document the event), but also to generate excitement for the coming year’s Powwow. The images in this blog post represent a very small portion of the thousands of frames taken by Ken as he records as many aspects of the event as possible. His lens chases the ever-changing light as he captures unique angles that convey the energy of a moment at the Powwow.
Written By
Rebecca West
Named as the Center of the West's new Executive Director in April 2021, Rebecca West has served as Curator of Plains Indian Cultures, as well as the Collier-Read Director of Curatorial, Education, and Museum Services. Rebecca has worked with the people, objects, ideas, and programs that define the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
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