Some regular attendees of Shawnee County Allied Tribes Inc.'s Inter-Tribal Powwow at Lake Shawnee will have to beat a new path to get to the beating of the drums and the traditional dances done to it.

The 20th annual edition of the powwow will be at its usual location, off Tin Man Circle between Reynold's Lodge and the lake, but road construction on S.E. Croco Road south of S.E. 29th Street will mean an alternate route from some powwow-goers, said Mike Ballard, one of the organizers.

Those used to getting to Tinman Circle from S.E. 29th and Croco Road should continue driving a mile east past Croco Road to Paulen Road, turn south and drive to S.E. 37th, then turn west and travel to East Edge Road and follow it to Tinman Circle. That route, Ballard said, avoids the side streets in residential neighborhoods east of the lake.

The other route to the powwow from Topeka is on S.E. 45th to East Edge Road, which leads to Tinman Circle.

Once on the powwow grounds, those attending the annual Labor Day weekend event will find traditional Native American drumming and dancing Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as food and beverage concessionaires, arts and crafts vendors, and educational programs.

This is the 20th powwow at Lake Shawnee, said Ballard, treasurer and past president of Shawnee County Allied Tribes Inc. and the powwow's director in its early years. Ballard said the group had three events in conjunction with Railroad Days before that festival folded.

Ron Acuna, then president of Shawnee County Allied Tribes Inc., asked Ballard to organize a powwow because he had run the Wacipi Powwow in Mankato, Minn., for two years. Unlike powwows where dancers compete for prize money, the Lake Shawnee event, like the Wacipi one, is a traditional powwow with more of an emphasis on the social gathering and educational outreach.

"Our goal is educate the public on Native American culture and abolish the stereotypes from the old Western movies and that type of thing," Ballard said.

"Fortunately, we had a lot of people in the group willing to volunteer," said Ballard, who added the business community also was supportive of sponsoring the event. It also turned out the timing was right as Shawnee County Parks and Recreation was looking for a festival to replace a defunct Renaissance fair at Lake Shawnee.

Even with that support, Ballard admitted he wasn't sure at the first powwow in 1991 "that anybody would come, so the committee members decided, well, we'll just get out and dance anyway."

However, dancers and spectators came and have come each year since. Indians from various tribes and nations across the United States and Canada have attended the event, which has also drawn some spectators from foreign countries.

"We expect 5,000 to 8,000 people coming to the powwow, and that includes the dancers," Ballard said. " This being the 20th year, we think we'll have a lot of participants."

Despite the road construction on S.E. Croco Road, Ballard said he thinks people will find their way to the event.

"It just takes some creative driving," he said.

As it has since 1993, the powwow will commemorate honored elders. On Saturday, it will be Frank Shopteese, a Prairie Band Potawatomi, and his wife, Portia. On Sunday, it will be Christian Kramer, a Yuchi, and his wife, Christine.

The host Southern drum will be Rockin Horse Singers with Terry Moore as emcee, and the host Northern drum will be Urban Crew with Louie Stumblingbear as emcee. Randy Davis Jr. will be the arena director.

Head man dancer will be Galen Hubbard; head lady dancer is Chelsea Jaynesahkluah; and head gourd dancer is Tim Robinson. Head little boy dancer will be Kanyon Yazzie, and head little girl dancer is Cresencia Two Hatchett. Also participating in the powwow will be Emma Washee, the Miss Shawnee County Allied Tribes for 2009-10 and the color guards from Wa Ta Se American Legion Post 410, the Kickapoo Nation and Haskell Indian Nations University.

Bill Blankenship can be reached at (785) 295-1284 or bill.blankenship@cjonline.com.