Post by blackcrowheart on Sept 7, 2006 11:03:20 GMT -5
Heritage thrive at powwow
By: ASHLEY LOPES Features Writer
09/03/2006
DIGHTON - As the colorful Leroy Araujo, 8, danced to the beat of the drum and 6-year-old sister Hailey-Jade Araujo jingled away in her dress, they honored their grandfather and helped keep the fire burning all weekend for the third annual Chief White Wolf Pow-Wow.
"You would think that they would get tired of it, but they just love it," said their smiling grandmother Libby Maddix, the late Chief White Wolf's wife.
A well-known figure in the local Indian community, Chief White Wolf, whose real name was Leroy Maddix, was the commissioner of Indian affairs and responsible for bringing powwows to the area for over two decades.
More than 20 Native American dancers, the Iron River Singers, Split Feather Singers from Vermont, Black Hawk Singers from Rhode Island, and Walking Bear Singers from New Hampshire gathered to pay homage to this great leader and friend Saturday.
"It makes me happy, this is what my dad enjoyed," said Chief White Wolf's daughter Le-Ann Araujo. "As long as everyone has a good time, that is all my dad would have wanted."
With over a dozen tribes represented, Araujo loved to see so many different colors at the event coming together.
"It is the way I was raised and the way I was taught," Araujo said. "It is important to put together a pow-wow like he did with a family atmosphere."
Araujo said that she gets nostalgic thinking back to her youth spent at pow-wows, and her favorite memories are when all of the traders, dancers, drummers had social time and stood up all night around the fire telling stories.
"He did so much for me and taught me my Native American heritage, this is the least that I can do for him," Araujo said.
With little resources in the area for natives to explore their culture, Maddix said that these pow-wows were important for Chief White Wolf to keep the traditions of his culture alive.
"There is really no where around here for people to go and learn about their culture unless they are living on the reservation," Maddix said. "Pow-wows are a social and learning experience, and something that is going on somewhere all of the time."
A dancer from the Delaware Tribe, 22-year-old Erica Scott, of Rehoboth, decided to be a spectator and take it all in this year.
She enjoys the pow-wows not only for their ceremonial aspect, with traditional dancing and storytelling, but their social nature as well.
"All different tribes get the opportunity to come together and enjoy themselves," Scott said. "Dancing is really fun and an expression of myself. Plus, all the outfits are hand-crafted and you can get really creative with it."
Though Heather Chamberlain, of Rehoboth, may be an outsider looking in, she came to browse the beautiful Indian jewelry that she can't find anywhere else, watch the dancing, and absorb a culture not many people are familiar with.
"The event gives local people a taste of their culture," Chamberlain said. "It shows people that it is not a thing of the past and the culture is very active in the area. Not many people get to experience something like this. It is so interesting."
alopes@tauntongazette.com
©The Taunton Gazette 2006
By: ASHLEY LOPES Features Writer
09/03/2006
DIGHTON - As the colorful Leroy Araujo, 8, danced to the beat of the drum and 6-year-old sister Hailey-Jade Araujo jingled away in her dress, they honored their grandfather and helped keep the fire burning all weekend for the third annual Chief White Wolf Pow-Wow.
"You would think that they would get tired of it, but they just love it," said their smiling grandmother Libby Maddix, the late Chief White Wolf's wife.
A well-known figure in the local Indian community, Chief White Wolf, whose real name was Leroy Maddix, was the commissioner of Indian affairs and responsible for bringing powwows to the area for over two decades.
More than 20 Native American dancers, the Iron River Singers, Split Feather Singers from Vermont, Black Hawk Singers from Rhode Island, and Walking Bear Singers from New Hampshire gathered to pay homage to this great leader and friend Saturday.
"It makes me happy, this is what my dad enjoyed," said Chief White Wolf's daughter Le-Ann Araujo. "As long as everyone has a good time, that is all my dad would have wanted."
With over a dozen tribes represented, Araujo loved to see so many different colors at the event coming together.
"It is the way I was raised and the way I was taught," Araujo said. "It is important to put together a pow-wow like he did with a family atmosphere."
Araujo said that she gets nostalgic thinking back to her youth spent at pow-wows, and her favorite memories are when all of the traders, dancers, drummers had social time and stood up all night around the fire telling stories.
"He did so much for me and taught me my Native American heritage, this is the least that I can do for him," Araujo said.
With little resources in the area for natives to explore their culture, Maddix said that these pow-wows were important for Chief White Wolf to keep the traditions of his culture alive.
"There is really no where around here for people to go and learn about their culture unless they are living on the reservation," Maddix said. "Pow-wows are a social and learning experience, and something that is going on somewhere all of the time."
A dancer from the Delaware Tribe, 22-year-old Erica Scott, of Rehoboth, decided to be a spectator and take it all in this year.
She enjoys the pow-wows not only for their ceremonial aspect, with traditional dancing and storytelling, but their social nature as well.
"All different tribes get the opportunity to come together and enjoy themselves," Scott said. "Dancing is really fun and an expression of myself. Plus, all the outfits are hand-crafted and you can get really creative with it."
Though Heather Chamberlain, of Rehoboth, may be an outsider looking in, she came to browse the beautiful Indian jewelry that she can't find anywhere else, watch the dancing, and absorb a culture not many people are familiar with.
"The event gives local people a taste of their culture," Chamberlain said. "It shows people that it is not a thing of the past and the culture is very active in the area. Not many people get to experience something like this. It is so interesting."
alopes@tauntongazette.com
©The Taunton Gazette 2006