158 Years Later, They Still Gather Here 🪶 | White Earth Nation Treaty Pow Wow

Ya’at’ééh! Aaron Tsosie here, the person behind the camera! 🎥 It’s been over three and a half years since I started covering Indigenous events in my own guerrilla-style way. Along the journey, I’ve met so many amazing people, families, dancers, singers, and communities. One of those people was a young hoop dancer named Quanah Jorgensen. Back in the early days of Indigenous Event Recordings, I usually didn't film youth dance categories. One day, Quanah left a comment on one of my hoop dance videos asking if I could film the youth and teen categories at an upcoming Heard Museum Hoop Dance Contest. By then I finally had a camera capable of recording an entire event without stopping, so I said yes. Looking back, that small request helped shape the direction of my channel. Over the years I've gotten to know Quanah and his family, and I even jokingly refer to his mom, Greta, as one of my "pow wow moms." She always checks in on me while I'm filming, makes sure I'm doing okay, and takes time to visit whenever our paths cross. When Greta invited me to visit White Earth Nation in Minnesota—the homeland of her family and of Quanah—I knew I had to make the trip. This year's White Earth Nation Treaty Day Celebration & Pow Wow marked the 158th annual gathering, making it one of the longest-running events I have ever attended. The Treaty Day Celebration commemorates the signing of the 1867 Treaty that established the White Earth Reservation and serves as a time for the community to come together, honor their history, celebrate their culture, and reconnect with relatives from across the region. Located about four hours northwest of Minneapolis, the event offered free parking, free admission, and a welcoming atmosphere for everyone who attended. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to arrive a day earlier for the Treaty Day Parade, but that's definitely something I'd love to experience in the future. Throughout the weekend there was also a community feed available, which was greatly appreciated after long days spent filming and visiting. One thing that immediately stood out to me was how community-focused this gathering was. Coming from Arizona, I'm used to many pow wows being centered around dance contests and competition. White Earth felt different. This wasn't about chasing points, prize money, or titles—it was about family, community, culture, and tradition. After 158 years, it's clear the people of White Earth know exactly what their community needs. The MCs, Vince Beyl and Jackson Rolling Thunder, did a fantastic job throughout the weekend. I had recently seen both of them at Gathering of Nations, so seeing them here helping guide the celebration was impressive. They kept things moving while also creating a welcoming environment for visitors like myself who were experiencing White Earth for the first time. One of my favorite parts of traveling to pow wows is seeing how every Nation expresses its culture in its own way. Even though I was far from Arizona and Diné Bikéyah, I still found the same things that bring us together across Indian Country: the drums, the songs, the laughter, the families, and the feeling of community. I'm grateful I was able to make the journey all the way to Minnesota. Since I flew out, I ended up sleeping in my rental car to keep the trip affordable and flexible. Maybe one year I'll make the drive and camp for the entire weekend! Thank you to Greta, Quanah, the Jorgensen family, White Earth Nation, and everyone who welcomed me to their homeland. I had an incredible time documenting this gathering, and who knows—maybe this will become one of those pow wows I return to year after year. Ahe'hee'! 🪶 This is the first of three videos documenting the full weekend. Subscribe so you dont miss them! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📢 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!