5 Things to keep in mind when attending an annual Pow Wow
Pow Wow’s are annual events that are hosted by various Native American tribes throughout the United States and Canada. Whether you are curious about or part of Native American heritage an annual Pow Wow is a great opportunity to learn more. The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Annual Pow Wow is hosted in Mt. Pleasant, MI and here are six must-do’s:
Soak It All In
As a first-timer, I was in complete awe of all that went on at the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Annual Pow Wow. Erik Rodriguez educated me on the many elements involved in this specific event. He also mentioned how the event brings together both native and non-native people to learn about the tribe’s customs.
“For us to be able to share this and bring them (visitors) in from the community to share a small piece of that [Native American] culture helps them ask questions or are curious about it and that really helps us have those discussions to futher educate them about not only traditions we still have and carry on today but some of the lost traditions we are try to revitalize” Rodriguez, Public Relations Director said.
Erik continued to share more about what makes the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe unique:
“When you look at our tribe our language, the Anishnabemowin is different than what you’d hear from the Navajo or the Apache. You’d see some of the designs of the woodland floral; you’ll see that in the regalia later today.”
Ask Questions
Many of the participants dressed in regalia and vendor workers were happy to address questions I had. Public Relations Manager and Tribe Elder Joseph Sowmick addressed many questions regarding his regalia including the origin stories of the colors found in his regalia.
“Actually that’s a wonderful question because even in my eagle feather I was gifted the sacred colors from a grandmother who smoked her sacred pipe and they include the colors of the medicine wheel yellow, red, black and white. They [eagle feather] also include blue for father sky and green for mother earth” Sowmick said.
Join In the Inter-Tribal Dance
Though many of the dances are reserved for the Native American tribes there is an opportunity to join in the dance during the Inter-Tribal dance. The Inter-Tribal was at the end of the Grand Entry both Saturday and Sunday of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Annual Pow Wow. Depending on who the host tribe is and how the Pow Wow is organized will determine when you too can join in the dance.
Try Fried Bread
This Native American original is used as a base for a variety of dishes available at the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Annual Pow Wow. One is the Indian Taco which had toppings one would expect on a taco but, the twist is that fried bread is the base opposed to a shell.
I tried the meal and it was good. The fried bread was complementary to the toppings which I wasn’t initially expecting.
Vendor operator Craig Graveratte shared how fried bread became part of Native American heritage.
“Fried bread came about because the Native Americans were placed on reservations and the federal government used to give out commodities, so they had to make do with what was given to them because they didn’t have fertile land and items like that to sustain themselves. So they looked at the commodities the government gave them which included flour, lard, sugar; things like that. So that is where everything [for fried bread] came about because they were making this bread and putting other things on top of it to sustain them” Graveratte said.
Get In Tune With Nature
There are several parks throughout Mt. Pleasant. Chipp-A-Waters Park is a great location to get closer to the Chippewa River without getting wet. Visitors can also go tubing, kayaking or canoeing in the Chippewa River.
If you are looking to hike Bundy Hill is a great area to explore. Mike LeValley, Executive Director Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, says “there are two trails that go to the top of the hill. One of the trials is about .6 miles and one is .8 miles so a loop is around a mile and a half.”
Walk Around Downtown Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant has many free parking lots and walkable downtown area. Whether you grab a coffee from Pleasant City Coffee, purchase a new outfit from one of the various shops, or enjoy a quiet morning stroll the Mt. Pleasant downtown area is worth a visit.
Attending an annual Pow Wow for the first time was powerful, moving and a beautiful experience well worth experiencing.
The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Annual Pow Wow is featured on television series Finding Festivals now airing on PBS affiliate WGTE. You can stream the series here. Special thank you to Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for the in-kind donation of accommodations.
Finding Festivals is independently produced by HayRobin Media Productions LLC.
Special thank you to Dead Shark Productions LLC (film crew), Micheal Desanto and WGTE.