Annual powwow a resounding success
Apr. 22—HOLLISTER — The weather was near-perfect for Haliwa-Saponi's 59th annual Powwow, as Chief Ogletree Richardson pointed out.
Just when the sun seemed to get too hot, a cumulus cloud would sneak up behind it and keep it covered just long enough to keep things cool.
Though the Haliwa-Saponi have been celebrating the powwow for 59-odd years, they've been in the area for longer than 200, Chief Richardson said.
The turnout was something else on Saturday — hundreds of people walked in a large circle around the proverbial dance floor behind the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School, sampling from food trucks on one end, to vendors on a wing stretching outward from the other end. Many escaped the heat with friends and family under one of many canopies tightly packed along the walkways.
Of course, when the dancing began, all eyes were on the circular clearing. Too many eyes, perhaps — attendees fit themselves into every available spot with even a half-decent view to get a glimpse at the dancers.
And they were something else, too — men and women across all ages donning feathers and colorful beads twirling and dancing to the rhythm set by nearby drum circles.
Groups of drummers set the tempo and provided some vocals on occasion. One of those drummers was Tyler Richardson, a member of the Haliwa-Saponi and of the Stoney Creek group. Singing is a release for him, he said. It's all about healing and good feeling.
Alongside the vendors were nonprofits and organizations, one being Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Memorial Grove. Its canopy was adorned with red dresses, each with the name of a missing or murdered indigenous woman.
Some cases have gone to trial, and some have yet to be found. Some have never even been entered into a missing persons database. The nonprofit works to keep their names out there and raise awareness about the disproportionate number of Native American women that suffer from abuse or homicide.
The latter is the third leading cause of death for Native American women aged 1-19, representing 8.4% of deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Chief Richardson said the tribe is looking forward to the 60th annual powwow.
