Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival offers a ‘small taste’ of tribal life, culture
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FORT HALL — A children’s parade kicked off the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes annual Indian Festival Thursday morning.
The three-day festival includes a wide array of traditional and contemporary events, including the crowd-pleasing Indian relays at the Fort Hall Rodeo grounds. There will be food, arts and crafts, along with music and dance.
Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Lee Juan Tyler, who will perform in both the song and dance portions of the festival, told EastIdahoNews.com these events are especially important as the Shoshone and Bannock people fight to keep their languages alive.
“All the songs are part of our language. It’s pretty awesome that we’re still carrying these songs into our future,” he said.
This marks the 58th year of the Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival in its current iteration. Its built on the foundation of a celebration that dates back to the mid-1800s. At the time, the Shoshone and Bannock Nations stretched from the Pacific Northwest to modern-day Saskatchewan, Canada.
The celebration was a chance for many clans to gather together, exchange stories and expand families.
“All these bands (of Shoshone and Bannock People), we did our own festival … every three years,” Tyler said. “They would all get together and they’d have enjoyment, horse races. They’d have hand games, they’d have trading.”
Eventually, other Native tribes began to take part.
Then the Mountain Men began to attend to trade their products, and the festival slowly evolved into the modern celebration.
A Miss Shoshone Bannock is selected at the festival every year through a pageant similar to Miss America.
Current Miss ShoBan, Kaycee Dixey, said that in order for a woman to run, she must be a single person between 18 and 24 with no children or dependents.
The reason for the restrictions, according to ShoBan spokeswoman Echo Marshall, is the demanding schedule Miss ShoBan is required to carry.
For 12 months, Dixey traveled the country, serving as what she called her tribe’s ambassador. She attended other cultural and educational events serving as a guest speaker. She also performed songs and dances.
Tribal women who qualify can apply and submit to a series of events, like a talent performance, preparing a traditional meal. Last year, Dixey made a chokecherry pudding and Bannock bread. She also performed a grand entry dance.
Dixey is looking forward to visiting with friends and family across the country. As she prepares to pass her title on to someone else, she shares why holding this festival is important to her and the people of Fort Hall.
“This is our original homeland and it’s important for us to show that we’re still here, as Indian People,” Dixey says. “People who come here and visit get just a small taste of who we are.”
Sunnie Big Day, who served as Miss ShoBan in 2003, has similar feelings.
“The festival is a great opportunity for us to invite everybody where they’ll all feel welcome. Hopefully it can break that bias that, everybody’s mean out here or there’s danger,” Bid Day said. “There’s just laughter and enjoyment and … good food.”
Tyler says the event once featured performances of Shoshone and Bannock legends and traditional dance performances, where new warriors would be provided with weapons and tools. The modern program includes what he called “social dancing.”
Still, Dixey and Big Day agree the festival has something for everyone.
“We need a bigger space. (The festival is) growing,” Tyler said. “But we enjoy it. It feels good to get together … I hope everybody enjoys themselves.”
Twenty-four teams are competing in the Indian relays this year. The races will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at noon. This is the only event that charges an entry fee, with the money going toward the purse for the winners.
For a full schedule of events, visit the festival website or Facebook page.
