(ABC 6 News) — Native Americans from tribes across the state participated in the Rochester Public Schools’ Powwow at Mayo High School — a tradition that celebrates Native American culture and honors native seniors graduating from RPS.

“To be able to walk in both worlds, it really takes a lot of doing,” Mushkeekeewinnee, an Ojibwe elder, said.

The Powwow is a Native American ceremony, and a way for Natives to celebrate their culture and appreciate the work their ancestors did to continue traditions.

The Powwow was free and open to all to attend and participate in, as a way to celebrate and share Native culture with the community.

“It has a teaching element for people who might not be familiar with our culture and our practices, traditions,” Tucker Quetone, Native American liaison, said.

The Powwow featured competitions for dances and drums and a feathering ceremony for seniors that are apart of the community as a way to celebrate them as they took the next step into their lives.

“I just want to encourage young people to hold on to those tribal connections, to their language, to their traditions and keep those alive and know how to hold those as their going forward and growing in their lives,” Quetone said.

The tradition has been going on for nearly a decade, and sees growth and participation each year.