The third annual "Rendezvous at the Straits" traditional powwow will be Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, at the Father Marquette National Memorial in St. Ignace. It is open to all, and will include reenactments of a way of life found at the Straits centuries ago, including fur trade demonstrations, Native American cultural traditions, food, entertainment, traditional drumming and dancing, and vendors.

An "omen" -- that's what "Rendezvous at the Straits" powwow coordinator Darryl Brown called the eagle that flew over the heads of visitors in the event's first year. Two years later, it seems to have been a good omen for the event, as attendance doubled from the first year to second, and will likely grow again this year, according to Mr. Brown.

The eagle is a sacred animal to Native Americans, Mr. Brown said, and can carry their prayers to the creator.

"That connection is still remembered, like grandfather came down and said, 'Good job,'" he said. "It just elevated everybody."

To sum up what the powwow is all about for Native Americans, Mr. Brown used three words: celebration, honoring, and thankfulness.

"We are celebrating," he said, "our heritage and our survival.

"Part of it is honoring our elders, those who have gone before us," Mr. Brown said, "and honoring our young ones."

The thankfulness is largely for the earth, he said, one reason dancing is prominent at powwows.

"We are thankful for the earth and all the things that come from the earth that give us life," he said. "Part of when we dance is prayer. We say we pray with our feet, because the earth is our church."

In addition to Native American heritage, a historic encampment at the site will also bring in the European history of French traders, Jesuit missionaries, and others who once called the Straits of Mackinac home.

"The powwow is a contemporary celebration," he said, "while the Rendezvous is a step back into history."

Historians Cindy and Tom Snider, along with other French trade reenactors, will display and act out life in the early fur trading years. French cooking, sinew production, birch bark and dugout canoes, 18th century snowshoes and toboggans, soap making, and tomahawk throwing will be just a few of the historic activities brought to life through this encampment.

The rendezvous begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 29, and will be followed by the powwow's Grand Entry at 1 p.m., with a second Grand Entry at 7 p.m.

A blessing of the grounds and lighting of the sacred fire will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, August 28, when participants and organizers are arriving and setting up. Although the event doesn't officially begin until Saturday, Mr. Brown said people are welcome to come and help set up on Friday.

"Some people enjoy the activity," he said. "When people show up and want to help, they feel included. That's part of their experience."

Both portions of the event will continue into Sunday, August 30, with an expected end time around 5 p.m.

The powwow will have several more drum groups than have come in the past. At least four are expected, with Bahweting Drum from the Sault Ste. Marie area as the host drum. Painted Rock, visiting from Detroit, will be the co-host drum, and Strong Heart Drum from Petoskey and Bud Biron and the Bahweting Singers are expected to attend, as well.

Close to 100 dancers took part last year, and Mr. Brown expects this number to be similar or higher this year. He particularly enjoys seeing youth find an interest in the dancing.

"If that gets in their hearts, then they start down that path," he said. "You see that and you encourage it."

The number of vendors, who line the area reserved for the rendezvous and powwow, is up to 34 from last year's 26.

"We're showing a steady increase there," Mr. Brown said.

A wide variety of goods will be available, including traditional ash baskets, flutes, traditionally made soap, herbs, leather, fur, beadwork, paintings, jewelry, books, and music. Traditional Native American food like corn soup, whitefish, wild rice, fry bread, Indian tacos, and blackberry tea will be joined by more contemporary foods like hamburgers, hotdogs, and soft drinks.

All are invited to attend both the powwow and the rendezvous portions of the event.

"It's very, very open, that's the best thing about our rendezvous," Mr. Brown said.

The event attempts to re-create and celebrate the diverse heritage that marks the history of the Straits area, where various cultures historically met and traded, Mr. Brown said.

"It represents our complete history -- French, Jesuits, Indians, everyone," he said. "We have a unique opportunity to do this because of the location."

A $3 admission fee will be charged for adults, $2 for elders and students, and children 12 and younger are free. The event is drug and alcohol free, and youth dancers are encouraged by organizers to attend.

Rendezvous at the Straits is sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Michilimackinac Historical Society, and the St. Ignace Special Events Committee, Chamber of Commerce, and Visitors Bureau. For more information, contact Darryl Brown at 984-2083 or the Chamber of Commerce at 643- 8717.