The Weather Almost Stopped This Pow Wow | Western Navajo Fair 2026

Yá’át’ééh! Aaron Tsosie here, the person behind the camera! 🎥 Welcome to Sunday’s 2026 Western Navajo Fair Pow Wow in Tuba City, Arizona! If you’ve been following my videos, you probably know by now that I consider myself a bit of a guerrilla filmmaker when it comes to filming these events. I used to show up with everything packed into my backpack, including my tripod and even a little tripod stool 😂 These days, I’m much more welcomed, encouraged, and often invited to film, so I’ve started bringing more gear along with me. For the past four years, I’ve been sleeping in my car when I travel to events, and that’s something I plan to continue doing! It saves me money that I can put toward better equipment and traveling to more pow wows. This weekend, I slept in my truck both nights at the Western Navajo Fair. There’s a specific entrance for dancers and singers on the west side of the fairgrounds, and that’s where I parked for the night. Needless to say, I was up pretty early on Sunday! I tried to hold myself back from showing up too early, but by 10 AM, I had my wagon loaded with gear and was ready to head into the pow wow tent. Security told me nobody was allowed in for another hour, so I figured I’d have to wait. But then Dawn Beard, the head of the pow wow committee, spotted me! She called me and told me she was asking the committee to come in early, then security let me in! Shoutout to Dawn for looking out for me throughout the weekend! She even made sure I got a free dinner on Saturday night, so I really appreciate her kindness and hospitality ❤️ Unfortunately, Sunday morning brought some pretty intense wind and rain. The tent was moving so much that we were concerned about everyone's safety, and at one point, we were even considering whether the pow wow would have to be canceled. Thankfully, after about an hour, the weather started calming down, and we were able to continue! The rest of the fair was closed for the day, but the pow wow carried on. The weather definitely made things interesting, though! We had three entrances into the tent, and the loose tent flaps were whipping around in the wind all day. Even the metal grommets used to tie the tarps together were flying around, so you had to be careful coming in and out. I never got hit by one, thankfully, but we all had to hold the tarps still as we entered and exited 😂 Before I knew it, the pow wow was coming to an end, and it was time to pack everything up and head home. I was happy to see some familiar faces and catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a while. Those hellos mean a lot to me, especially since I forget how important my presence is for some of my friends! At the same time, I was trying to get home as soon as possible because my wife was getting sick, and I wanted to be there with her. I was sad to leave, but I came away from the weekend feeling grateful for another great pow wow and all the people who made me feel welcome. I always recommend the Western Navajo Fair Pow Wow because of how close-knit our community is. Everyone comes together under one big tent, and there’s something special about that feeling of togetherness. We don't need to bring our own canopies because we're all sharing the same space! Of course, be prepared for the fair prices and all that dust 😂 Ahéhee’ for watching, subscribing, and supporting the work I do! It's an honor to travel to these gatherings and share these moments with you all ❤️ I'll see you in two weeks at the Roy Track Mesa Pow Wow at Riverview Park in Mesa, Arizona, just outside Phoenix! Admission is free, so come out and enjoy the gathering if you can. Just be ready for that Arizona heat! 🥵 See ya there! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 📢 Support My Work 🎯 Help me keep documenting Indigenous events — send a tip via Venmo: @imaarontoasty 💌 Want to support long-term? Consider joining my Ko-fi for early access & behind-the-scenes content Ko-fi Donations: https://ko-fi.com/indigenouseventreco... 📸 Follow My Journey 🎥 Subscribe for more Indigenous event coverage:    / @indigenouseventrecordings   📷 Best photos:   / indigenouseventrecordings   🎶 Short clips & livestreams: https://www.tiktok.com/@indigenouseve... 📖 Updates & highlights: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... 📩 Business Inquiries For collaborations or media inquiries, email: IndigenousEventRecordings@gmail.com 📄 Content Use Feel free to reuse my content — just credit and tag me!