Midnight Sweetwater appeared as a blur of red, white and yellow Monday evening as he whirled across the stage to the sound of beating drums inside the Steamboat Springs High School auditorium.

His performance was just one of the many highlights for the annual powwow event that the Tread of Pioneers Museum has been hosting annually since 2017. The event showcases Native American dance and culture and normally draws big, enthusiastic crowds.

For most of that time Candice Bannister, executive director of the Tread of Pioneers Museum, has worked with families connected to the Ute tribe from the Uintah and Ouray reservation. But this year, just 48 hours from showtime, Bannister received a last-minute phone call informing her that the dancers would not be coming this year due to unforeseen circumstances.

Bannister was happy that she had recently attended the Indigenous Connection Summit in Golden along with Katie Adams, museum curator. That is where they met Steven LaPointe, co-chief executive officer with 1st Tribal Consulting — a contact that proved useful last weekend.

“I called him and told him what had happened. I also told him the short turnaround of having to pull this off, and he said, ‘Let me make a few calls and see what we can do.’ Within two hours, he had put together a dance, singing and drum group of various tribal members that are currently residing in the state.”

LaPointe’s group shares the Native American culture through the art of the powwow, cultural awareness presentations and educational curriculum. He arranged for the dancers from the All Nation Singers and Dancers to perform at this year’s powwow.

“Our goal is to basically advance all native voices in communities, municipalities, cities, counties and the state,” LaPointe said of 1st Tribal Consulting. “We started this organization to really raise awareness of our people’s inclusivity in every aspect of life.”

As the crowd arrived for Monday evening’s show, audience members had no idea what it had taken to get the dancers on the stage. By the end of the performance, the crowd showed their appreciation with thunderous applause.

“This is a very diverse group as we had several different dances that have never been performed at this event,” Bannister said. “This event bolsters the educational component.”

LaPointe said Colorado is home to 48 historically recognized tribes and more than 200 different tribal nations of people who moved here during the Bureau of Indian Affairs relocation program in the 1950s. The group also visited Soda Creek Elementary School on Tuesday, performing for students from across Routt County.

“We’re not victims. We’re always strong and resilient people who will always be here in America,” LaPointe said. “We want to build bridges by highlighting what we do for everybody, and this is a great showpiece for not only the town, but for the museum that highlights education and historical and modern culture. They’re building the bridge with us, and we rise and fall together.”

He narrated the show, educating the audience about his culture, the challenges Native Americans have faced and the desire to build bridges.