Season winds down

PABLO — On Saturday afternoon, just under 100 people gathered for the People’s Center’s second annual social powwow.

“Today was a time for us to get together to sing, dance and socialize at the end of the powwow season,” Marie Torosian, education director and museum exhibits coordinator for the People’s Center, said.

Other powwows have contests and payouts but today was a time for fun, said Torosian.

“We just love the costumes and the singing,” Mo Rost, of Ronan, said. She and her husband came to the event to enjoy the cultural celebration.

Dancers from Salish and Kootenai tribes and other tribes came out to the powwow, Torosian said.

Frank Parot, of Pablo, came with his son and grandchildren to dance at the event.

Parot said he has been dancing in powwows for about 20 years, but learned to dance while he was attending the Thomas Indian School in Iroquois, N.Y.

“I was a seventh grader and I learned to dance,” he said.

Joining him in the dance was his son, Robert Parot Sr., and grandson, Robert Parot Jr.

“I taught my son to dance and he taught his sons to dance,” Frank Parot said.

Torobian said the limited number of dancers, drummers and singers could be because of other events and powwows on other reservations.

However, the emcee of the powwow said, “a powwow is a powwow no matter how many people are there.”

“There is just so much beauty out there, with the colors, the costumes and the dancers. It’s wonderful,” Rost said.