Those good pedagogues out at United Tribes Technical College would certainly agree that a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

As for the annual powwow, on the other hand, it would be a good thing if it was a waste.

Literally.

In Lakota, "waste" translates to "good." "Wacipi Waste," or "good gathering," is the theme for the 38th annual United Tribes International Powwow. The colorful cultural event will take place Sept. 6-9 in Bismarck. It's one of the longest-running contest powwows in the country, and brings thousands of people to town every year.

A multimedia work by Arizona artist Don Brewer, "Wacipi Waste," is an image of a dancer in bright regalia. It's very representative of the hundreds of contest dancers who will compete in Lone Star Arena. Brewer said his piece is meant to show that physical-spiritual moment dancers experience while performing.

"When a dancer is out there in the arena, listening only to the drum and the singing, he transcends the here and now," Brewer said. "You go to another level, you're not even there."

Brewer said that sensation is one of the truly joyous and good things of the powwow.

If spectators can't quite take that trip, they can at least enjoy the pageantry, culture and driving drum beats that pulse from the arena. It makes United Tribes a completely different place from the sleepy, tree-lined campus it is right now.

"It gets very busy, to say the least," said Karen Paetz, powwow chairwoman. "The students will have just returned for the fall semester, therefore the activity and the excitement becomes intensified. We're already getting into the mode of reconnecting with friends and relatives we haven't seen over the summer. With the onset of the powwow, the excitement is always raised."

Paetz said the college is proud to host such a successful, longstanding event.

"This is one of our premiere events on campus that we look forward to each year," she said. "The planning begins the week after the previous powwow ends. Powwow changes, powwow evolves, as it has throughout the generations and the decades. We always take a look at our strengths and weaknesses, to see what we can do better."

Paetz said the committee had clung to the most traditional dance styles, but as a contest powwow it also has had to adopt some of the more contemporary dances and music. Senior men's and women's divisions will take part in dances that are centuries old, she said, while teens and young adults compete in some newer areas.

If it all seems confusing - how the singers and drummers are ranked, how the dancers are judged - just head up to the announcer's table and look for a committee member. Paetz said any of them will be happy to explain how the powwow works. Also, a tepee will be set up on the north side of campus to serve as an information booth.

If you go out for just one day, Paetz said, make it Saturday night. The grand entry at 7 p.m. Saturday will be the best attended and most colorful, she said. It will be a good introduction to powwow. Another spectacle will be this year's featured group, Kahurangi. The Maori dance group is made up of indigenous Polynesian people from New Zealand. They'll perform at 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The pace will be a little slower on Friday, which is the 14th annual Youth Day. Young dancers will compete in several categories.

In addition to the dancers and drum groups, there will be craft and food vendors lining the open-air arena. Paetz said her committee invites everyone from the community to come and check out the powwow.

Though not everyone will show up, of course, the United Tribes powwow attracts about 15,000 visitors a year. It brings in 800 dancers and more than two dozen drum groups, making it one of the last and largest outdoor powwows at the end of summer on the Northern Plains. And this year, as in the past couple, you'll see dancers and drummers downtown. They will take part in the Parade of Champions on Sept. 8, which will follow Bismarck's traditional parade route from the Capitol to Kirkwood Mall. The parade begins at 10 a.m.

Tickets for the powwow are available at the gate. They're $8 for a day pass, and $15 for all weekend. Elders (age 60 and older) and children age 5 and younger get in free.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@bismarcktribune.com.)