POST FALLS - AshNe'a Anderson loves performing as a fancy shawl dancer.

The 7-year-old from the Navajo Reservation in Utah dances at powwows such as Julyamsh this weekend not only for herself but her elders.

"It's important we're dancing for our own culture," she said, donning her colorful shawl on Friday night. "I also like it because it makes me feel like a butterfly."

Participants representing tribes from across the country have converged on the Greyhound Park and Event Center for one of the largest powwows in the West.

"We like coming here because it's bigger than a lot of powwows, and there's a lot of different types of dancers and regalia," said Anderson's mother, Heather, as she was fixing her four daughters' hair before the grand entry.

"There's also a lot of different tribes. In powwows down south, there may only be a few tribes. We met some from a New York tribe here."

Heather said it's important for her children to participate in powwows to keep the Navajo traditions alive.

"Different tribes dance for different reasons," she said.

Heather said Julyamsh is also an opportunity to learn about different tribes.

"It shows how they do things," she said.

Clayton Malatare of Arlee, Mont., and the Salish-Cree Tribe said Post Falls is a good place to meet family from Washington.

"We like the facility and the dancers and drummers are top notch," Malatare said. "That's what sets it apart."

Malatare said the payout for the contests is attractive - Julyamsh has $145,000 in total cash prizes.

He said that he and his wife may take home a total of $3,000 and his kids $200 to $400 from a powwow, but there's other times they don't make enough to pay for the trip.

But the money isn't the real reason for attending. He said it's about being with family, paying respect to elders and carrying on traditions.

"We sing our hearts out for the people who can't sing and dance," Malatare said. "You can notice the ones who sing just for the contests."

It's never too early to start children on the powwow trail. Malatare's grandson Ramond Mendoza isn't even a year old and he was wearing his regalia on Friday, participating in the Tiny Tots division.

"Each part of the regalia means something," Malatare said.

Powwows are a lot about bonding with family and other tribes. Malatare said he'll take his family to multiple other powwows, including in Minnesota, Oregon, Montana and Idaho before fall.

"Even if we're short money, the kids will say, let's go dance for grandma," he said.

At powwows, groups will host meals for others who are strapped for cash.

"We call each other brothers; it's just the way we were brought up," Malatare said.

Coeur d'Alene's Tasha Wilson said Julyamsh is the first powwow she has been to, and it was an eye-opener.

"Looking around, you can just tell how family-oriented Native Americans are," she said. "They help each other get ready and you can tell that they love performing together. Watching them carry on tradition is neat to see."

The powwow continues today and Sunday. Horse parades and grand entries start at 12:30 p.m. each day and at 6:30 tonight. Admission is free and parking $5.