Two Cultures - One Community Powwow, 1601 Westgate, Pendleton, OR (2024)

03/09/2024

We Got Mentioned...Yeehawww.. We Also Wish You The Best Of Luck At The JUNO Awards.. And I Need To Catch Up With Your Album..

03/07/2024

Find contest results and photos inside the CUJ March 2024 edition!

Read CUJ_March 2024 by Confederated Umatilla Journal on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

02/26/2024

The Two Cultures One Community Pow wow this weekend was a great success! It was well received and needed for our community to join together as one.

Thank you to our fiscal agent Nixyaawwii Community Financial Services. None of this would have been possible without you. Dave, Becky, Jacob and Dani were all vital and extremely helpful in our journey in the first year!!!

We wanted to express our profound gratitude to DDRC, Elkhorn Media, Confederated Umatilla Journal, and KCUW for getting the word out about our event. Also to our photographers Dallas Dick, and Robert McLean.

Thank you to all our sponsors!!!!! CTUIR, AWS, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Cayuse Holdings/Cayuse Native Solutions, Umatilla Co Commissioners, Travel Oregon, Travel Pendleton, Laborers International Union of NA, CTUIR Department Child and Family Services, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, Iron Workers of the Pacific NW, Yellowhawk, Eastern Oregon Visitor’s Association, City of Pendleton, Pendleton Convention Center, and Wildhorse Foundation.

Thank you to our donors!!!! The Rt. Rev. Patrick Bell, Bishop-Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon, Port of Kennewick, Coyote Business Park and development by CTUIR, Raddison Hotel, Pendleton Bottling Co and Farm Equipment Headquarters.

Thank you to our headstaff: Arena Director Kellen Joseph, Co-Arena Director/Judge Coordinator Colin Chief, Drum Judge Coordinator Ben Cardinal, Whipman Andrew Wildbill, Whipwoman Judy Farrow.

Thank you to our Emcees!!!! Head MC Ruben Little Head Sr., and Co-MC Carlos Calica.

Thank you to our volunteers!!!! Speel-Ya Native American Student Council EO, Pendleton Ambassador Susan Cox, Amazon Web Services, CTUIR Youth Council Member Kateri Jones, Ashley Harding, Sacas Wildbill, Marie Allman, Dean & Val Fouquette, Janene Morris, Alanna Nanegos, Shane Liab, Laura Kordatdzky, Lawanda Bronson, Irma Totus, Elk Minthorn, Umatilla Tribal Police Department , Pendleton Police Department, Damien Totus, Sarah Frank and Thomas MorningOwl.

Major and special thank you to the Don, Aaron, Wayne, and Sherri Round who are the staff at the Pendleton Convention Center. They went above and beyond their job duties to make sure all was attended to! Also to their cleaning staff TNT.

Thank you to all the drummers and dancers who traveled near and far to be with us!!!! Northern Cree you rocked the house!!!

Thank you to the vendors!!! Everyone raved about all the good finds at the vendors!

We could not have done this without you all even the community!!! We are certainly blessed and humbled to have shared a safe space together. One heart one mind.

Picture by Robert McLean

02/26/2024

Aaaand that’s a wrap for Two Cultures - One Community Powwow! Hope to see y’all again next year! My timine is happy. I’ll share more pics and vid’s later!

02/25/2024

Black Friday on a Sunday!!! Get here.

02/25/2024

We as the Two Cultures One Community Pow wow Committee thank each and every one of you who have made this weekend incredible! The goals we set and the expectations are far exceeded. We are extremely appreciative and humbled by this experience in our first year!!!

Day 3!!! Let’s go!!!!! 🙌🪶🫶🏽

02/25/2024

Round 3 of blanket wars begins at 10 am!!!

02/25/2024

Special thanks to our sponsor Cayuse Holdings!

"Cayuse Holdings is a family of companies owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Since 2006, Cayuse has provided technology services to commercial, federal and native clients. We employ more than 650 people around the world. Many of our employees even work from home. Maybe
we have a job for you! Check out our job openings regularly at
cayuseholdings.com"

-Debra Croswell
President / Executive Managing Director

02/24/2024

Special thanks to the CTUIR Department of Child and Family Services.

"One of our main goals is to connect our families and community through culture. Dancing and drumming also help to create healthy vibrations and movement which is vital to our well-being."

-Julie Taylor

Director, CTUIR Child and Family Services

02/24/2024

Thank you to our sponsor Umatilla Co Board of Directors!

"Welcome to the Inaugural Two Cultures One Community Pow Wow in Pendleton. The Umatilla County Commissioners are excited to be a part of this event.

Umatilla County enjoys a beautiful partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The County and the CTUIR are currently working hand in hand on a large water project on the west side of the county. Umatilla County relies on the cultural expertise of CTUIR to assist us in many different projects around the county. The culture and the history that CTUIR enjoys are a very important part of Umatilla County.

Having the Inaugural Two Cultures-One Community Pow Wow here in Pendleton is a great way to share the native culture with those in the local region. This is a great opportunity for all to enjoy. Umatilla County is proud to be a sponsor of the Inaugural Two Cultures-One Community Pow Wow and we look forward to our continued partnership."

-John Shafer,

Board Chair, Umatilla County Board of Commissioners.

02/24/2024

Special shout out and thank you to our sponsor Marathon Petroleum Corporation.

“We are very excited about supporting the Two Cultures One Community Powwow! Our community investment strategy is centered around strengthening communities and helping make people’s lives better. We focus on partnerships that reflect the priorities of our community stakeholders, align with our core values, and make a positive impact.”

-VJ Smith

Principal, CSR Community Relations/Tribal Affairs

02/24/2024

Blanket wars to begin at 10 AM 😂 😂 😂 😂

02/24/2024

Roast Beef Sandwich Was Good..

Two Cultures One Community 2024 POW-WOW.
Concessions open at
Friday 5pm 9pm
Saturday 11am-10pm
Sunday 11am- 5pm

02/24/2024

Friday Night Live was a major blessing! Thank you to our sponsors, donors, vendors, volunteers and headstaff for making this possible! The vision Pat and Fred had, came to life and the Two Cultures One Community Pow wow Committee is very appreciative for everyone that was able to come together showing so much love and support!!! It was great to see our community, surrounding communities, surrounding states and those from afar stand together as one! Thank you also to the drummers and dancers. You also made this happen 🫶🏽🙌

02/23/2024

Where’s yours? Haha

No overnight parking please!

02/23/2024

Special shout out and HUGE thank you to our Fiscal Agent Nixyáawii Community Financial Services.

"Nixyáawii Community Financial Services (NCFS) is a new Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution serving the Umatilla Tribes and Reservation. We provide loans and direct client services. We are serving as the fiscal agent for the Two Cultures One Community event helping with accounting, fund-raising, and assistance as the Two Cultures One Community committee achieves their own non-profit status. "

-Dave Tovey, Executive Director

02/23/2024

It’s the countdown to Grand Entry, hope to see you all there!
CORRECTION: Dancer Pre-Registration will close at 12:00 PM today!
I’m person registration will begin at the Convention Center.

02/21/2024

Tansi, Powwow Time Closing In On Us.. 5PM Pre Grand Entry Recognitions and Acknowledgements of City Officials, Tribal Chiefs & Board Of Trustees & General Council Officers,Etc.. 6PM Grand Entry

02/21/2024

Dancer payout info…if you want to pre-register go here…twoculturesonecommunity.com

02/21/2024

Dance contest prize payout information:

Adults: $800, $600, $400, $200

Teens: $300, $200, $100, $75

Jr’s: $150, $100, $75, $50

Tiny Tots: $100, $75, $50, $25

02/21/2024

Drum Contest information -

1st place: $6,000
2nd place: $4,000
3rd place: $3,000
4th place: $2,000
5th-14th consolation: $1,000 (10)

Drum Contest Rules

1) Must have at least 7 singers
2) Be ready 15 minutes prior to drum roll call
3) No alcohol or drugs at the event
4) No drum hopping during contest songs.

02/21/2024

Northern Cree, a nine-time Grammy nominee, will serve as the host drum for the first “Two Cultures, One Community” pow wow Feb. 23, 24, and 25 at the Pendleton Convention Center.

Northern Cree will come to Pendleton from their headquarters in Saddle Lake, near Maskewich, Alberta, Canada. The two First Nation communities are home to some 36,000 Cree Indians.

As a hand-drum ensemble, the group has performed all over the world, from Mexico and Moroco to Greenland and across Europe. The group performed in front 50,000 people at Trafalgar Square in London and was invited to perform “Cree Cuttin” live on the pre-telecast portion of the 60th annual Grammy Awards in 2017. The performance was streamed worldwide.

Northern Cree has performed with rock bands and other artists. In 2008, rapper M.I.A and hip-hop star Santigold sampled Northern Cree’s music in the single Get It Up, and in 2017 Pharrell Williams, record producer and songwriter, set in on a drum circle while the group was performing in North Dakota. The group also provided music in the film Grey Owl (1999) and was featured in the song and music video “Indomitable” by DJ Shub, which won Best Music Video in the Native American Music Awards.

Northern Cree has won a number of awards, including the Native American Music Awards, Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, Aboriginal Peoples’ Music Choice Awards/Indigenous Music Awards and Indian Summer Music Awards. The group also won a 2017 Juno Award, which are presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Artists and Sciences. They won the Juno, singing “Going Home Star,” for Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble.

Northern Cree routinely performs as the host drum at two dozen celebrations a year, many in the round-dance style, which is different from the powwow dancing of the Pacific Northwest.

The 15-member group, with drummers from across Treaty 6 zone in Alberta and Saskatchewan, has produced nearly 50 albums, many of which have been recorded live at powwows. However, their last album, “Oskimacitahowin: A New Beginning,” was recorded in-studio at the National Music Centre in Calgary.

The inspiration for Northern Cree started in the 1960s when individuals from the Saddle Lake community would meet in a small log home to practice their traditional songs.

“People were always visiting. There was no TV so the people sang and drummed and told stories,”said Steve Wood, one of the brothers who eventually established the drum by name - Northern Cree - in 1982.

Steve’s brother, Charles Wood II, who died in 2018, was an original member of the Northern Cree drum. He was married to Dorothy Cyr, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and was the father of Pilot Rock resident Charles Wood III, also a CTUIR member, who plans to release his first hand-drum album later this year. Cyr and her two boys, Charles III and Shane, work at Wildhorse Resort & Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Article written by Wil Phinney

02/18/2024

Get Yer Spot.. Ayyyeee 49 Spot..

The Pendleton Convention Center offers 40,000 sq. ft of meeting and event space. Our space includes 9 flex rooms, audio/visual (A/V) equipment, in-house catering, NBA-style basketball court, an attached outdoor arena, free Wi-Fi, 500 on-site parking spaces, RV parking with electrical service, and a....

02/17/2024

Thanks for Sharing..

Up at downtown Pendleton on Main! It’s next weekend my friends and fambam, thanks to all the committee who have worked so hard to pull this together in about 4 short months starting from scratch. Y’all are Gems! And…thanks to all who are in support of it all, your positivity truly outweighs the few negative remarks. We are grateful. ❤️

02/17/2024

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT - by Wil Phinney

Karmayne Toney will bring Karmayne Designs from Denver, Colorado, to sell her native-inspired sticker-designed shirts, and to spread awareness for Missing and Murdered Indian Women (MMIW).

Karmayne’s niece, Ashlynn Mike, was killed in May of 2016. Her aunt Betty Lee was killed in June of 2000. Both were MMIW victims.

Toney said she travels across the country to bring attention to MMIW through her shirts, some that provide light humor (“Go Smudge Yourself”), while also networking to build friendships and develop professional relationships with other vendors.

In November of 2020, Karmayne began making vinyl stickers with a Cricut machine she’d received as a gift from her husband, Wallace.

“I had just gotten done watching Wind River one weekend and for weeks that film struck a chord within me,” Karmayne said. “I couldn't stop thinking about my family members that passed.”

She created an image “of what MMIW means to me,” which features the face of an Indian woman with a red handprint across her mouth.

Karmayne’s Designs travels to powwows and other celebrations “everywhere from Washington state, down to California across to Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, to Maine, down through Georgia to Florida then back to our motherland - the Navajo nation.”

Each year they create their schedule for the powwow trail, which starts at the Seminole Pow Wow in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

02/17/2024

Up at downtown Pendleton on Main! It’s next weekend my friends and fambam, thanks to all the committee who have worked so hard to pull this together in about 4 short months starting from scratch. Y’all are Gems! And…thanks to all who are in support of it all, your positivity truly outweighs the few negative remarks. We are grateful. ❤️