An annual tradition of color and history was cancelled for the first time.
The Sac and Fox 57th annual Pow Wow was cancelled Thursday, May 28.
“It’s just really hard to start managing that type of environment in a way that keeps our people healthy, our employees healthy and the community at large healthy,” Sac and Fox Principal Chief Justin F. Wood said. “It’s just hard to do and we didn’t want to take any risks.”
With a recommendation from the Pow Wow committee, the decision was made by the Business Committee to cancel the event.
“We asked for a suggestion,” he said. “We asked them to get together and discuss the pros and cons of the difficulty of managing this.”
Wood said they took everything into consideration when the made the decision. One of the major concerns was not being able to control who is coming and where they are coming from.
Chief Wood said people from all over the country and world set this event on their calendar every year with intent to attend.
Whether it’s vendors, visitors or tribal members, Wood said over 20,000 people attend the four day event.
“There’s no way to make it safe enough,” he said. “You just can’t take that risk.”
Wood said two tribal members have tested positive with the virus and one has passed away.
“Ultimately, life is the most precious thing we have and we don’t want to lose something we care so much about,” he said.
Wood said the reaction of the news has been “overwhelmingly supportive.”
“I get it,” he said. “I look forward to it every year. I anticipated people getting upset, but overwhelmingly most people believe it was the right decision to make.”
Wood said people have been calling his office in the weeks prior to the decision asking what the plan is.
“I welcome all voices in helping us when making those big decisions,” he said.
Throughout the past 11 weeks, Wood said tribal members have been very supportive with many decisions that have been made, like closing the casinos and limiting the governmental office hours.
Now that the casinos are open, Wood said they are only open to 20 percent capacity.
“That’s really comparing apples to oranges because there’s a certain control of who comes in and doesn’t come in,” he said. “There’s way less people.”
Wood said with the casinos they are able to control the number of people who go into the casino at one time.
Wood had until June 1 to make a decision. Wood said to his knowledge the Pow Wow has been moved due to weather before, but never cancelled.
“It’s not an easy decision, but it’s the right decision,” he said.