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June 30, 2025
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June 30, 2025
The United Houma Nation hosted its 13th Annual Celebrating Abilities Awareness Powwow in Houma this past weekend, drawing hundreds to the area for a unique display of culture and connection.
The United Houma Nation has hosted powwows for decades, serving to unite the Chitimacha Tribal citizens while welcoming non-tribal attendees and fostering cultural education and mutual respect. The event was filled with Native American singing, drumming, dancing, food, crafts, storytelling, and local vendors offering vibrant ribbon skirts, asabikeshiinhs and sage, and more.
“It‘s just such a great opportunity to reconnect and celebrate who we are,” said Jared Crosby with the United Houma Nation. “Not only that, but it provides such an important way to preserve our culture. It’s where we share our traditions, our customs, our language, and express ourselves through song, dance, storytelling, and more. It‘s one of the most important ways we stay true to who we are, and share that with other people as well.”
Photos by Abigail Gauthier.
Laine Langley, a grass dancer participant, shared how his journey to the dance circle began with loss.
“One of my closest friends, whom I viewed as an older brother, passed away two years ago,” Langley said. “He loved the grass dancing category. We had talked about dancing together, and right when he passed, I was supposed to start dancing. I was in a mourning period for a year after.”
After that year, Langley decided to dive into dancing. He said being so close to his friend and watching him dance fluidly encouraged him to compete in the category, and it became a way to feel connected to the friend Langley had lost. “It’s hard to explain,” Langley said. “It’s a spiritual experience. Once you start hearing and feeling the beat of the drum, you just feel like you’re flowing.”
Photos by Abigail Gauthier.
The dance winners from the United Houma Nation’s 13th Annual Powwow are as follows:
JR Girls Traditional
- 1st 101 Caylee Hamilton
- 2nd 188 Oiyana Rose Basharn
- 3rd 147 Luna Ramirez
JR Girls Jingle
- 1st 105 Tayla Smith
- 2nd 158 Olivia Swift
- 3rd 149 Harmony Blackbear
JR Girls Fancy
- 1st 140 Callie Murphy
- 2nd 137 Niyah Godwin
- 3rd 172 Kinnidy Colston
JR Boys Traditional
- 1st 129 Kayson McGhee
- 2nd 134 Jaxon Rivers
JR Boys Straight
- 1st 186 Darrien Steele
JR Boys Grass
- 1st 184 Nicoda Castillo
- 2nd 100 Elijah Garner
- 3rd 150 Gabriel Ramirez
JR Boys Fancy
- 1st 142 Aiden Williams
- 2nd 133 Keaton Daughtry
Teen Girls Traditional
- 1st 182 Daniyah Horace
- 2nd 154 Anhinga Delgado
- 3rd 106 Aubrey Fontenot
Teen Girls Jingle
- 1st 110 Sasha Williams
- 2nd 119 Marisol Thompson
- 3rd 109 Makenna Williams
Teen Girls Fancy
- 1st 141 Catherine Naquin-Ledet
Teen Boys Traditional
- 1st 132 Kee Lon Daughtry
- 2nd 135 Jordyn Countryman
Teen Boys Grass
- 1st 117 Stephen McGhee
Teen Boys Fancy
- 1st 168 Ehren Bell
Golden Age Women
- 1st 122 Fawn Galvin
- 2nd 194 Yolanda Poncho
- 3rd 116 Jill Seahmer
Golden Age Men
- 1st 200 John Butler
- 2nd 173 Stephen Potts
- 3rd 102 Donald Garcie
Women’s Cloth
- 1st 165 Joanne Langley
- 2nd 163 Megan Zamora
- 3rd 138 Cassidy Murphy
Women’s Buckskin
- 1st 167 Audrey Svitak
Women’s Jingle
- 1st 178 Sequia Obe
- 2nd 120 Kateri Thompson
- 3rd 197 Sehoye Buckley
Women’s Fancy
- 1st 118 Shailen Seahmer
- 2nd 192 Athen Cameron
- 3rd 104 Raynella Fontenot
Men’s Traditional
- 1st 160 Alex Alvarez
- 2nd 139 Tommy Smith
- 3rd 164 Francisco Zamora
Men’s Straight
- 1st 151 Lucas Gilbert
Men’s Grass
- 1st 175 Dustin Langley
- 2nd 121 Carl Jetton
- 3rd 131 Gabe Parro
Men’s Fancy
- 1st 113 Gabe Bullock
- 2nd 176 Adam Bell
- 3rd 156 Micah Mcnair
Chief’s Special Women’s Fancy – Shailen Seahmer
Committee Special Men’s Traditional – Alex Alvarez
For more information about the United Houma Nation, please visit their Facebook.
This story was reported and written by a student with the support of the non-profit Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities, including Nicholls State University, funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations. Edited for publication on the Times of Houma/Thibodaux by Isabelle Pinto.
