Sharing Their Heritage With Others
Visitors to the North Dakota State Fair had the opportunity to experience the heritage and culture of Native American dancers as the MHA Tourism Department was set up in the State Fair Park area. They had twice daily performances from Friday, July 18 through Monday, July 21. They were also scheduled to perform during the MHA Indian Horse Relays on Tuesday, July 22. (Editor's Note: The relays were canceled on Tuesday due to the track conditions at the fair following the rain.)
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara dancers individually demonstrated a different style of dance while the master of ceremonies explained the significance and history of the outfits and styles. He would share the stories of how the tribes came to own the dances. Each dancer took their turn showing their styles and then joined together at the end to give a sense of what a person might experience if they were to attend a Pow Wow.
The goal of the performances at the fair was to educate the people as to who the tribes are as people, with a goal to share those traditions with others to bring them together to share not only in the cultures but also to join together in understanding.