A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Celebrating the achievements and continued success of the Black Hills Powwow.

WHEREAS, the Black Hills Powwow and Expo, He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate, is now in its thirty-sixth year; and

WHEREAS, as one of the premier American Indian cultural events, the Black Hills Powwow draws singers and dancers from across the United States, Canada, and beyond to participate in thirty-six different categories of singing and dancing, attracting twenty drum groups and more than one hundred vendors; and

WHEREAS, the event brings in more than eighteen thousand visitors, including more than four thousand five hundred out-of-town attendees and about four thousand students from Rapid City area schools; and

WHEREAS, the Black Hills Powwow, already one of the largest in the world, continues to grow in attendance and support every year, bolstering Rapid City and surrounding communities’ economies and bringing in more than $4,000,000 in revenue while awarding championship singers and dancers a total prize payout of over $150,000:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the Ninety-Ninth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, that the Black Hills Powwow and Expo, He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate, deserves honor for its achievements and continued contributions to the regional economy while allowing attendees to experience the beauty of Great Plains indigenous song and dance.