Powwow announcers Butch Felix and Lawrence Baker have rolled out the welcome mat for the 22nd annual He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate Champion Fine Arts Show & Games. Despite storm clouds and wet weather, Native Americans representing 40 different tribes arrived in Rapid City for Friday's noon grand entry.

For Baker, a Four Bears Park, N.D., native, his first impression of the powwow was its size: "Big." He was also surprised at the community support of the powwow.

"I have seen the posters for this all over town, and people have asked me from my hotel to Olive Garden if I'm here for powwow," he said.

"That's pretty good. There's a lot of support for this," Baker said.

As host drum, Kevin Kingbird, Don Kingbird and eight other singers of the Battle River group opened the grand entry with an Ojibwa favorite. Each day of powwow, they will sing the first song and the last song of the day, which means they will probably be at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena up to 12 hours a day.

"You want to get a good rhythm, something to dance to, and something with some soul," Kevin Kingbird said of their song selections.

Don Kingbird said they brought a lot of old songs from Red Lake, Minn., as well as the ones the members of their group have composed along the way. During their down time between performances, they'll tweak these songs and then premiere them at the powwow.

"That's the element of surprise," Don Kingbird said about their repertoire.

An Eagle Butte man was watching his 7-year-old son, Jess Knight III, float through the intricate steps of the junior grass dance session. The elder Knight competes in the senior men's traditional sessions. He started traditional dancing 10 years ago, after a 37-year absence from the arena.

"I've been coming here since I started. I haven't missed a year," Knight said. "It just keeps getting better and better at every session and every day."

Butch Felix agreed.

In his seventh year as announcer, he is moved by the interracial connection all non-native people have when taking in their first powwow at the civic center. This sort of gathering brought the different people together to share news of marriages, deaths, births and life before breaking for winter. It continues today, he said.

"These are things we learned generations ago, and they're still practiced today," Felix said pointing out the grass dancers, representing the movement of wind through the grass.

The most traditional of men's dancers mimic the mating dance of prairie chickens - the way they bob their heads, span their limbs and keep time with their feet.

"Our culture is still alive," he said.

IF YOU GO

Who: Everyone.

What: The 22nd annual He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate Champion Powwow Fine Arts Show & Games.

When: Grand entries will be at noon and 7 p.m. today, Saturday; with a final grand entry set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Fees: $19 for an adult weekend pass, $9 for adult day pass, $5 children's day pass, free.admission for age 3 and younger and 65 years and older.

Where: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena.

Other: For information and schedule of events, go to blackhillspowwow.com Tickets are for sale at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center or at gotmine.com

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com