Powwow Unites Nations

Native American Celebration Unites Tribes from across the West

On June 16, 17 and 18, 2006, the athletic field at Moorpark College will transform into a vibrant display of Native American song, dance and marketplace.

Vendors call for applications from as far away as South Dakota. Dancers hailing from all over the Americas anticipate the celebration. The Gourd Dance, originating with the Kiowa Nation of present-day Oklahoma, will be held throughout the weekend. Tepees will line the athletic field and the smell of native foods will fill the air.

For three days Moorpark College will be home to the 6th Children Of Many Colors Powwow, a fund raising and awareness-building event hosted by Redbird, a southern California non profit Native American awareness association.

The Powwow is a celebration of American Indian culture, song, dance, arts and crafts. Powwows are among the few indigenous celebrations that are open to the public. They are a rich mixture of celebration and ceremony. For native people, they are like giant family gatherings. For visitors, they are an opportunity to glimpse a small piece of the complex picture that makes up Native America.

Redbird is asking a donation of $2.00 per vehicle to attend the event, money that will help off-set the expenses of hosting the gathering, and create a scholarship fund. For this small price, visitors will witness a mixture of traditional and contemporary dances, songs, foods and craft items, and they will have the opportunity to experience the dance arena first-hand during songs called Intertribals.

The Children Of Many Colors Powwow boasts a star-studded cast, including popular actor Saginaw Grant of the Sac and Fox Nation as Head Gourd Dancer, Thirza Defoe, Ojibwe and Oneida, who recently appeared at the Autry in Stoneheart, as the Head Woman Dancer; and Sam Bear Paw of the Apache Nation, who will just be returning in time for the gathering from a tour dancing throughout the United States, as the Head Man Dancer.

Event Details:
Location: Moorpark College Athletic Field,
7075 Campus Park, Drive, Moorpark, CA 93021
Times: Friday 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Cost: $2.00 donation per vehicle
Type of Event: Family/cultural
Contact: (805) 217-0364 website: www.RedbirdsVision.org email: redbirds_vision@hotmail.com
Redbird
P.O. Box 702, Simi Valley, CA 93062