A dancer stands out in the crowd at the Cherokee Pow Wow in Cherokee, North Carolina

---

Pow Wows are intertribal social gatherings at which Indians compete in dance categories for cash prizes. They are often considered Pan Indian or inclusive of all American Indian tribes and peoples. The dance categories include fancy dancing, shawl dancing, traditional dancing and jingle dancing, each with its own style of regalia. Pow Wows are a family affair with groups of relatives assisting, supporting and watching the dancers. Dancers often save for many years to assemble their dance costume or regalia which often includes leather, feathers, fringe, bead and colorful fabrics. Each costume is unique and many of the items used have been passed down over the generations.

---

Size: 2831px × 4256px
Location: Cherokee Reservation, Cherokee, North Carolina
Photo credit: © Running Whirlwind / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: american, ameriind, beads, carolina, ceremony, cherokee, compete, competitive, contest, costume, custom, customs, dance, dancer, dancing, fancy, feather, fringe, gathering, indian, indigenous, leather, native, night, north, pan, pan-indian, panindian, pow, red, regalia, reservation, skin, traditional, tribal, tribe, ways, west, western, wild, wow