Ceremonial gets $35,000
McKinley County to continue its support of annual gathering

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial will be getting $35,000 this year from the McKinley County Commission.

The commission approved the grant Tuesday at its regular meeting after Louis Bonaguidi, chairman of the Ceremonial board, explained that even though the Ceremonial brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in revenue, local support for the event is badly needed.

"It takes between $500,000 and $750,000 a year to put on the Ceremonial," he said.

He added that all it takes to create a severe financial crisis for the event is a couple of days of rain during the five-day event. He pointed out that it seems that every four or five years, the area's monsoon season starts about the time the Ceremonial is being held.

"Saturday is our biggest day, and rain on that day can cut revenue by three-fourths," he said.

The county commission has been a financial supporter of the Ceremonial for several years now, providing grants of at least $25,000 a year.

Bonaguidi said the money will be used to promote various events, such as the song and dance.

He pointed out that the song and dance became a staple of the Ceremonial two years ago after commissioner Ernest Becenti, Jr. recommended it be added.

This marks the third year for the event, and Bonaguidi said he hopes attendance will get back to the level it was in the first year it was presented. Last year, the association put the event inside the gate which required people to pay to see it, and attendance dropped.

This year, it will once again be situated outside the gate at Red Rock Park, so the only fee people will have to pay is parking.

Another thing that will be returning this year will be the wine tasting at preview night.

The association held the first one two years ago and it was very successful and dropped it last year, which got a lot of complaints from people who wanted it back.

"We plan to do it very tastefully this year," Bonaguidi said.