The Omak Stampede held in August every year is one of the main gatherings of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington.

The Colville Reservation covers nearly 1.4 million acres in Washington’s Okanogan and Ferry counties, in the middle of the state.

The Omak Stampede, in Omak, Wash., is both an official rodeo and a gathering of members of the Colville Confederated Tribes, in central Washington. The event takes place the second weekend of August every year. This year I didn’t stay for the event, and instead shot a few pictures of the tepees set up every year new the pow wow performance area. I then took my first drive through the reservation ever, stopping in Nespelem and eventually at the Coulee Dam on the reservation’s border. It was great to finally see this place, as it covers 2,100 square miles and has a key role in the state’s and region’s history.