Julyamsh finds a new home

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's powwow, Julyamsh, will return to North Idaho this year after nearly two years of looking for a new home.

The largest outdoor powwow in the Pacific Northwest will be held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds this year. The proposal for the new location was approved Thursday by the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council.

"Julyamsh was always a place where people could come together to share song, dance and culture," said Chairman Chief James Allan of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Summertime has been missing that gathering and sharing amongst all people who attended and we are very happy to be able to celebrate it again this summer."

The event is one of the largest powwows in the nation, drawing as many as 800 dancers and 60 drum groups from across the United States and Canada. Tribal members from all over come to watch, as do local crowds and tourists from around the world.

The powwow was held at the Greyhound Park in Post Falls for nearly 20 years before the Tribe broke off the relationship due to legal and political reasons surrounding the issue of "racino" gaming machines at the park.

Because that break came with insufficient time for the Tribe to relocate, the 2015 event was canceled.

"That was the unfortunate situation there, and we have an immensely fortunate situation now," said Bob Bostwick, press secretary for the Tribe. "Everyone around here is truly delighted that we have a new site for it and we can just get back to doing the wonderful things we've been able to do at Julyamsh all these years."

Based on views from both the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and the Kootenai County Fairgrounds staff, the location is a perfect match.

"We are both excited and honored to have been chosen as the host facility for one of our region's most incredible cultural events," said Dane Dugan, Kootenai County Fairgrounds general manager. "Our entire community will be positively impacted on so many levels. We look forward to collaborating with the casino and tribal leadership to ensure a successful event."

Bostwick said the facilities at the fairgrounds are immense, impressive and answer every need. Julyamsh will bring scores of vendors to the fairgrounds, including food and beverage, arts and crafts and memorabilia. Fairgrounds facilities include 83 acres of camping area, a spacious arena, staging areas and plenty of facilities for horses. Each Julyamsh session begins with a horse parade with the horses and riders in full regalia.

"Everything is going to work out beautifully with the facilities," he said. "And the other amazing, wonderful thing is we are so impressed with the folks up there and the management at the fairgrounds."

Allan also praised the fairgrounds staff, stating: "We're thankful for the staff and leadership at the fairgrounds who have made us feel welcome and we look forward to the partnership."

The Tribe's cultural affairs director, Quanah Matheson, also sees something special about bringing the powwow to Coeur d'Alene, central to the Tribe's traditional homeland.

"It's like having it in our original capital," he said. "The city of Coeur d'Alene was the 'yap keen' um', our gathering place when all Coeur d'Alene people came together. This is significant to the Tribe, and with the relationship we believe we are developing with the fairgrounds, we can build on this and make Julyamsh even greater."

The event will run at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds July 22-24.