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Pow Wow celebrates
native culture
By Jamie Rogers
On-line Forty-Niner
People of all ethnicities
gathered at Cal State Long Beach this weekend to celebrate
the 31st Annual Pow Wow. Under a bright, blue sky, participants
mingled, prayed and celebrated in the ancient Gabrielino/Tongva
Village of Puvungna, upon which CSULB is built.
Puvungna, which
means "gathering place" and "place from which
all stems," is a holy site, where, according to Tongva
legend, Wewyoot, who is thought of as the "first captain,"
was born. Puvungna is also thought to be the birthplace of
the Chengiichngech religion.
The Pow Wow, a
tradition for American Indians, provides an opportunity for
different tribes to congregate.
"It is a social
gathering," said Anna Nazarian-Peters, coordinator of
Student Life and Development, "and it is a place to meet
new people."
It is also a time
for elders to educate younger American Indians about their
cultures.
"These Pow
Wows are the only thing we [Americans Indians] have,"
said Chief Oliver Red Cloud, a member of the Sioux Tribe in
South Dakota. "It is important for the young people to
go to college and learn the white man's way, but we also must
keep our culture."
Red Cloud's grandson,
Paul Gonzalas, traveled with him from South Dakota to experience
the Pow Wow. "It's nice, seeing tribes getting together
like this, having a good time," Gonzalez said.
On Sunday afternoon,
Red Cloud addressed the crowd in a speech honoring veterans,
in which he mentioned the American flag flying above Brotman
Hall. The flag was given to veteran Doug Richardson on POW-MIA
Recognition Day in 1999. Richardson, an American Indian, was
a prisoner of war and was also missing in action during the
Vietnam War.
The celebration
also included songs commissioned by the American Indian Alumni
Chapter and the American Indian Student Council. One song
encouraged American Indian students to remember their culture
as they attend college and another acknowledged the achievements
of American Indian college graduates.
The gathering opened
with gourd dancing on both mornings, led by Head Gourd Dancer
Doug Richardson. The dance is usually done before, after or
between intertribal dancing. Head Man Dancer Larry Brown and
Head Women Dancer Pam James led the intertribal dancing.
On Sunday, James
led a special Jingle Dress dance. This is a traditional Pow
Wow dance where the women's dresses are decorated with rolled
up tin that bang together while they dances making a jingling
sound.
There was also
a tiny tot dance that afternoon. Master of Ceremonies Roy
Track announced that the children danced so well, they all
tied for first place.
One of the children who take part in the competition was Larissa
Bohay, a member of the Kiowa tribe on her father's side and
the Paiute tribe on her mother's side. Bohay's aunt, Joyce
White, said she enjoyed attending the event.
"It is always
good to come out and be with friends," White said. "It
has such a family feel. I like this Pow Wow."
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Jamie Rogers/On-line Forty-Niner
Dancers
at the 31st Annual Indian Pow Wow, including Larissa Bohay,
below, of the Kiowa and Paiute tribes commemorate their
culture.
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