Eastern Shawnee tribe slates annual powwow
Sep. 14—WYANDOTTE, Okla. — The annual powwow of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma will kick off Friday, with dances, contests and other activities scheduled through Sunday.
The powwow marks a time when tribal members from all over the country join to celebrate their culture through traditional song and dance, said Kelley King, who chairs the powwow committee.
"For me in particular, it's just the opportunity for us all to come together," she said, noting that some tribal members from as far away as Oregon and California are planning to attend. "... This is the one time of year we all get to be together."
Friday's events will start with a gourd dance at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. prayer and honoring of local veterans. All area veterans are being invited to attend and be recognized; register at the speaker's stand by 6:45 p.m.
The grand entry of the 2022 princess and crowning of the 2023 princesses will begin at 7:30 p.m. Afterward are several youth contests, with categories including junior girls buckskin, cloth, fancy shawl and jingle, and junior boys straight, traditional, grass and fancy.
There also will be a special honor song for Glenna J. Wallace, chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.
Gourd dances at 1 and 6 p.m. will start Saturday's festivities. The elder honor dance begins at 7:30 p.m. Afterward are the contests for teen girls buckskin, cloth, fancy shawl and jingle; teen boys grass and fancy; women's buckskin, cloth, fancy shawl and jingle; and "golden age" men and women.
Sunday's events start with a gourd dance at noon. The 1 p.m. contests include teen boys straight and traditional; men's straight, traditional, grass and fancy; and hand drum. A presentation of prizes will follow.
Admission is free, as is camping. Several vendors will have food, drinks and arts and crafts available for purchase, King said.
Anyone is welcome as a spectator, King said. Some dances and events are restricted to Native participation, but others, like the intertribal dances and two-step, are open to all, she said. The master of ceremonies will make clear to spectators which dances are open, she said.
Justin Barrett, treasurer for the tribe, said he was returning to Wyandotte from the East Coast in time for the start of the powwow, which is his yearly chance to see many friends and family members.
He also said he welcomes non-Native spectators, as he views the powwow as an opportunity to share tribal customs with others.
"I think it's always good to be able to educate other people on culture and protocol," he said.
The powwow grounds are located at 12615 S. 705 Road in Wyandotte. In case of inclement weather, activities will move inside the Eastern Shawnee Wellness Center.
The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is one of three federally recognized Shawnee tribes; the others are the Absentee Shawnee near Shawnee, Oklahoma, and the Shawnee Tribe in Miami, Oklahoma. The tribes' original homeland was the middle Ohio Valley, between modern Louisville, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Wallace, who has been the chief since 2006, is the first woman to be elected chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe. Prior to her position as chief, she served on the Eastern Shawnee Tribal Business Committee for 18 years. She also spent nearly four decades as a teacher and administrator at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri.
