No Matter the Weather, We Still Dance 🪶 | Standing Horse Route 66 Pow Wow

Ya'at'eeh! Aaron Tsosie here, the person behind the camera! Welcome to my fourth visit to the Standing Horse Route 66 Pow Wow in Winslow, Arizona! Looking back over the past four years, this pow wow has challenged me in just about every way imaginable. One year it was blazing hot, another year we had pouring rain, and this year... the wind was relentless! But honestly, I'm thankful for those challenges because every one of them has made me a better filmmaker. When I first started covering pow wows, I wasn't always prepared for the unpredictable weather. Every year I've learned something new and invested in gear that helps me document these events more reliably. For the Arizona sun, I now carry sun umbrellas and you've probably noticed my iconic green button-up shirt that keeps me covered during those long weekends. For the rain, I always keep a tarp ready to protect my cameras, and I even carry a GoPro as a backup just in case the weather turns on us again. This year, the biggest lesson was the wind. The audio coming directly into my camera struggled with the constant gusts, and within twenty-four hours of getting home, I was already researching better wind protection and audio solutions. I always joke with my friends that I'm like Iron Man—I learn from my mistakes and come back with better equipment next time. Every challenge teaches me something, and that's how Indigenous Event Recordings continues to improve year after year. Standing Horse has become one of my staple events. It's one of those pow wows I think about all year long. I plan my camping setup, I watch the weather forecast weeks in advance, and I even make gear purchases specifically with this weekend in mind. The equipment I buy for Standing Horse usually ends up helping me at pow wows all across Indian Country. The Standing Horse Route 66 Pow Wow continues to be one of the best values for travelers. Admission is free, parking is free, and because Winslow is a smaller town, hotel prices are usually very reasonable if camping isn't your thing. MC Erny Zah kept everyone entertained as always with his great sense of humor, while Arena Director Albert Francis did an excellent job keeping everything moving smoothly throughout the weekend. Even the sound crew had to adapt to the weather. The high winds created technical challenges, forcing them to switch from their usual wireless frequencies to keep everything operating. It was impressive watching everyone work together and adjust throughout the day. The wind affected everyone. We couldn't simply stake our canopies into the ground. Instead, I saw people using cinder blocks, sandbags, and heavy weights to keep them from blowing away. Many vendors and campers even replaced their traditional canopy tops with mesh-style shade cloth that allowed the wind to pass through while still providing protection from the sun. I had never really paid attention to those before, but after this weekend, they've definitely been added to my future gear list. Despite the weather, that's one thing I love about our pow wow community. No matter if it's 110 degrees, pouring rain, or strong desert winds, we still show up. We dance. We sing. We laugh. We visit with relatives. We support one another. The weather may change, but the spirit of the people never does. It was wonderful seeing so many friends and their families once again. That's what keeps bringing me back year after year. And one small improvement I definitely noticed—they added more portable restrooms this year, and they seemed much cleaner than in previous years. I know there are also indoor restrooms at the field house, but I never had a chance to see if they were open during the weekend. A huge thank you to the Standing Horse Pow Wow committee, the volunteers, the dancers, the singers, the drum groups, and everyone who came together to make another successful year possible. No matter what Mother Nature throws at us, this community always finds a way to keep dancing. Ahe'hee'! 🪶 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📢 Support My Work 🎯 Help me keep documenting Indigenous events — send a tip via Venmo: @imaarontoasty 💌 Want to support long-term? Consider joining my future Patreon for early access & behind-the-scenes content (coming at 10k subscribers!) 📸 Follow My Journey 🎥 Subscribe for more Indigenous event coverage:    / @indigenouseventrecordings   📷 Best photos:   / indigenouseventrecordings   🎶 Short clips & livestreams: https://www.tiktok.com/@indigenouseve... 📖 Updates & highlights: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... 📩 Business Inquiries For collaborations or media inquiries, email: [email protected] 📄 Content Use Feel free to reuse my content — just credit and tag me!