By Tracie Mitchell
Staff Writer 

Bye, bye pageant? 'Gift of the Waters' pageant future up in the air

WORLAND – Tuesday evening the future of the “Gift of the Waters” pageant was discussed at a town meeting held in the Thermopolis Big Horn Federal meeting room. Twenty-two people attended and no conclusion was reached as to the fate of the pageant.

 

February 15, 2018



WORLAND – Tuesday evening the future of the “Gift of the Waters” pageant was discussed at a town meeting held in the Thermopolis Big Horn Federal meeting room. Twenty-two people attended and no conclusion was reached as to the fate of the pageant.

“Gift of the Waters” pageant committee treasurer Barb Vietti stated that in the past the pageant has had a lot of support from the community with volunteers and donations but the last couple years that support has dwindled drastically. Last year if the committee hadn’t had a little money on reserve the pageant wouldn’t have been able to happen.

According to Wyomingfolkfestival.com, “On April 21, 1896, Chief Washakie of the Shoshone and Chief Sharp Nose of the Arapaho signed a treaty with the U.S. government at Fort Washakie on the Wind River Reservation. They sold a ten-mile-square tract of land surrounding the Big Horn Hot Springs (‘Big Spring’). Washakie stipulated that some portion of the healing waters remain free to all people forever. In return the tribe was to receive $60,000 in cattle and food supplies.

“The ‘Gift of the Waters’ is not a re-enactment of the event but an annual celebration of the camaraderie of two nations. The drama was originally written in 1925 by Marie Montabe and has been performed in the park annually since 1950. It includes members of the Eastern Shoshone tribe singing and dancing, with “The Lord’s Prayer” in Native sign language.”

The next meeting, which will be March 8 at 5 p.m. in the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce office, is where the fate of the pageant will be decided. Vietti stated that volunteers are needed to work on committees, raise funds, help with pageant particulars and parade particulars, advertise and make flyers and if there aren’t enough volunteers, the pageant may not happen this year. “What’s so frustrating is that we have been trying for years to get people to come to be on our pageant committee and volunteer to work and it’s the same few people who show up, no matter how much advertising we did. Right now it boils down to a handful of people doing everything,” Vietti said.

The pageant which is done on a Saturday and Sunday evening in late summer brings many people to the area every year. Vietti stated that on Saturday evening usually about 400-500 people are in attendance and 150-200 people for Sunday evening.

 
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