Native American pride has never seen so much action.
Hundreds of Native Americans sported the pride, decked from head to toe in feathers and authentic leather moccasins, as they gathered at Cal State Long Beach this weekend, marking the 41st annual “All Nations” (all tribes welcome) Pow Wow.
“It is time to come together to celebrate culture and speak the language,” Leo “Firehands” Iyot said. Iyot is a Mescalero Apache who has attended the event for 15 years.
Most dancers wore vibrant outfits that could normally only be found on the set of an old Western movie. Decked from head to toe in paint and feathers, some costumes seemed like they were decorated with multiple birds.
The event was made up of history, prayer, costumes, and most of all, dance.
Dancing was held in “the Circle” and lasted from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, with few breaks.
Different dances incorporated all ages, from children doing a “candy dance” to couples doing a two-step.
During the Grand Entry dance, which basically signified the beginning of the event for each day, dancers would enter from the end of the circle where the sun rises, and circle in a clockwise direction.
The center of the circle, called the “Drummer’s Circle,” was comprised of a small group of respected people in the community who kept the beat going for hours.
Many tribes came from all over, including Canada.
“It’s not weird to drive five states to this Pow Wow,” Melanie Tober, a great-great-great granddaughter of Chief Yellowfish.
“I met a lot of my family members here,” Tober said. She said she has attended Pow Wows for two years and has learned a lot about her culture, not to mention her actual family tree.
Nobody could accurately say how many different tribes attended the event.
“There’s anywhere from 80 to 600 tribes,” Craig Stone, faculty advisor of the event, said.
Different tribes set up pop-up tents around the circle, filled with family members.
Bleachers were set up on the south end of the circle for the excess of people who wanted to watch the event, or didn’t camp out early enough for a spot.
When the urge to take a break from keeping your eye on the Circle came about, walking around had even more to offer.
Outside the family-oriented pop-up tents, even more tents were set up as an Indian-style marketplace. People could purchase authentic handcrafted jewelry to accessorize with leather moccasins. Anything from rattles crafted from real turtle shells to hand-whittled cross bows were available for sale.
Browsing the ancestral artwork on display gave real insight on the actual culture of Native Americans.
Those looking to get in touch with their culture could purchase “How to Make Your Own Moccasins” on DVD, and give it their best shot while listening to their favorite Pow Wow drum songs on their new Eagle Rib CD.
All the dancing and shopping could certainly work up an appetite.
People waited in long lines to sink their teeth into some Indian Tacos. These tacos made of the basic taco ingredients, but served on a flat piece of fry bread, were similar to a Mexican Pizza.
“Being native myself, it is a great way to be here at our home and to bring others to our campus and feel the sense of family and community,” James Suazo, a junior on the American Indian Student Council, said.
Announcements were constantly made between dances of information of each event.
During one announcement, anyone willing was asked to come forth and drop money on a blanket for Ben “TJ” Wolf, whose son was shot and killed this year. This death followed a second son who was shot and killed in the Long Beach area last year.
A heartfelt speech brought tears to Wolf’s eyes, as he thanked those who contributed.
All the speeches were based around Mother Nature and goodness. Giving and sharing were constantly encouraged throughout the festival’s duration.
The Pow Wow was a way for people to forget their woes for a few hours and put their minds in a different, beautiful and satisfying place.
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