Coverage of tribal natural resources is supported in part by Catena Foundation
The 35th annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest — a spectator sport with deep roots to the Southwest that later spread throughout Indian Country — returned to Phoenix over the weekend.
Thousands flocked from North America to watch 124 dancers twirl their hoops at the Heard Museum. That field of competition whittled down to 15 finalists across four age divisions: youth, teen, adult and senior.
1 of
— victor-duncan-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Victor Duncan, 8, vies for the youth finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
2 of
— lakai-torres-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Lakai Torres, 10, competes in the youth finals of the 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
3 of
— aaron-james-vigil-world-hoop-20250217.jpg
Aaron James Vigil, 12, performing in the youth finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
4 of
— kailayne-jensen-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Kailayne Jensen in the teen finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
5 of
— cyrus-first-charger-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Cyrus First Charger competes in the teen finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
6 of
— mateo-ulibarri-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Mateo Ulibarri in the teen finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
7 of
— tony-duncan-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Tony Duncan in the adult finals at the 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
8 of
— scott-sinquah-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Scott Sixkiller Sinquah in the adult finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
9 of
— talon-ree-duncan-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Talon Ree Duncan competes in the adult finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
10 of
— joseph-secody-world-hoop-20250216.jpg
Joseph Secody in the adult finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
11 of
— josiah-enriquez-world-hoop-finals-20250216.jpg
Josiah Enriquez in the adult finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
12 of
— sky-duncan-world-hoop-finals-20250216.jpg
Sky Duncan performing in the adult finals at 2025 World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
While a few came from Canada, most of them lived all around the Grand Canyon State from Dilkon and Kaibito in northern Arizona to the Valley and neighboring New Mexico, including defending world champion Josiah Enriquez from the Pueblo of Pojoaque just north of Santa Fe, who captured his second consecutive world title on Sunday.
This last weekend's 34th annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, with deep ties to the Southwest, has been elevated to another level for audiences, both in the arena and back at home.
2025 winners by division
More Tribal Natural Resources News
-
State environmental regulators have given the owner of a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon the green light for higher levels of arsenic in groundwater under the facility. -
Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairwoman Amelia Flores met with leaders from around the world to discuss legal personhood for rivers. -
Across tribal communities in northeastern Arizona, 1 in 3 homes does not have running water. But now, there’s a way to help fix that. -
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are resisting the deal because it would allow the Navajo and Hopi to lease water to cities downstream, likely the growing towns around Phoenix. -
More than 56 million acres — nearly 3% of the U.S. landmass — belong to tribes. The Land and Water Conservation Fund has aided more than 47,000 projects, like parks and trails, in nearly every county nationwide.
