The beat and rhythm of America’s oldest form of song reverberated through the grounds on Rodgers Lake this weekend, as the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi hosted its annual Labor Day celebration, the Kee-Boon-Mein-Kaa Pow Wow.

Nearly 150 Native Americans from around the continent gathered in Dowagiac for the two-day competition and exhibition, wearing vibrant and regalia while performing traditional dance routines for judges and hundreds of people lining the stands of the pow wow arena.

The festivities opened on Saturday with the grand entrance, with the entire procession of dancers being led into the arena by a group of local Pokagon veterans, carrying the band’s eagle staff. After the ceremony, the former soldiers were recognized for their sacrifices, marching with other veterans once around the grounds.

“It’s always an honor,” said Jerry Campbell, one of the Army veterans leading the brigade. “The nation does a lot to show us their respect.”

Campbell and the other veterans have participated in the grand entrance the past five or so pow wows, he said. The Elkhart resident looks forward to the event every year, relishing the opportunity to see fellow American Indians from other tribes across the U.S. and Canada, he said.

“It’s all about our heritage, past and present,” he said. “It celebrates what makes us different from other cultures. We take pride in it.”

This is the 29th time the Pokagon Band has hosted the weekend long celebration, and the seventh year they hosted it on the lake, only a short distance away from the band’s headquarters on Sink Road. The name Kee-Boon-Mein-Kaa means “I have quit picking huckleberries,” in Potawatomi, and the pow wow its is a revival of the age-old celebration of the conclusion of another successful harvest.

While the rainfall early in the weekend certainly was not ideal, organizers said that didn’t keep the crowds away from seeing the festivities, with turnout appearing higher than in years past.

“Despite the forecast, it looked very well attended,” said Paige Risser, director of communications with the tribe.

While the focus of the event was on the dancing and singing, spectators had other things to occupy their time with as well, such as checking out the selection of wares available for merchant booths surrounding the pow wow grounds or buying snacks and meals from food trucks parked inside the campgrounds.

Many people set up their campers or pitched tents on the Rodgers Lake property, with all 129 campsites occupied for the weekend, Risser said.

“It’s like a gathering of friends from other parts of the country,” Risser said. “Many plan their labor day weekends around it.”