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August 31, 2008

Traditions, reunions mark Ottawa powwow

By Debbie Robinson

news@joplinglobe.com

MIAMI, Okla. — The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma on Sunday wrapped up three days of dancing and festivities at its annual powwow at Adawe Park, southeast of Miami.

The event has been conducted at the tribal grounds for more than 20 years, and draws Ottawa descendants and descendants of other tribes for fellowship and dancing.

Each night’s festivities began with the traditional gourd dance and ended with a stomp dance that sometimes went into the early morning hours of the following day.

Hundreds of visitors parked recreational vehicles or pitched tents on the grounds surrounding the covered arena where the ceremonial dances were held.

Sunday’s events began with the Indian Junior Olympics for competitors through age 12.

Stefanie Whitwell, 3, of Sparta, Mo., competed in the foot race for children ages 3 to 5.

Her mother, Debbie, said the family has been attending the powwow for about eight years.

“It’s a feeling of family,” she said. “Everybody’s always in a good mood, and everybody’s friendly.”

Other youth events included a watermelon roll and a buffalo-chip toss.

Unlike many powwows, the Ottawa Tribe’s dances are not competitive.

William Scott, of Tulsa, said he has been attending the event for more than 20 years.

On Sunday afternoon, Scott cooked over a wood fire in cast-iron pots that were more than 100 years old.

Pot beef, green beans, new potatoes and dry corn were being prepared to serve to family members, he said.

Scott, who is Ottawa, said he never dances. “I’m not very coordinated,” he said.

His favorites are the songs. “They’re just so soothing,” he said. “This powwow has a lot of family in it.”

Vendors were selling everything from small Indian magnets to shawls and beadwork.

Patty Shinn, of Quapaw, who is a descendant of the Seneca-Cayugas, displayed her doll groupings that can sell for as much as $1,000.

Clothing and colors are carefully selected for their authenticity, Shinn said.

“It might only take me two weeks to make, but some of the cloth, it might take me 40 years to find,” she said.

As her husband, Jerry, sat at a small table crafting the doll magnets, another camper came by with a smudge blessing for the two.

Smudging involves the use of a small pot that contains smoking sage and sweet grass. The fragrant smoke is seen as a blessing and cleansing, Shinn said.

Another vendor to the event was Brenda Hall of Granby, Mo. She was displaying shawls, beadwork and moccasins.

“I enjoy the friendships, and the gathering of friends and family,” she said.

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