Shown are participants in Saturday’s event honoring Native American U.S. military veterans at the 45th Annual KBIC Maawanji’iding Pow Wow in Baraga. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo)

By GRAHAM

JAEHNIG

Daily Mining Gazette

BARAGA — The 45th Annual KBIC Maawanji’iding Pow Wow festivities were interrupted Saturday about an hour and a half after the 1 p.m. Grand Entry.

A torrential downpour sent hundreds of spectators running for their cars. Because of the high attendance at the event, some vehicles were parked a half a mile away.

After the Grand Entry, which featured dancers from several tribes from across the Midwest, came the dance honoring Native American U.S. Military veterans.

In the area of the gathering reserved for vendors, the KBIC Natural Resources had a booth set up offering information on their programs, such as their Lake Superior fishery assessments, Baraga County stream assessments, surface water and groundwater monitoring, air and radon studies, brownfield programs, wildlife and wetland management and more.