43rd Annual Powwow this weekend

The first and oldest Powwow in North Carolina will be held this weekend near Hollister, NC.  The Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe will sponsor its 43rd Annual Tribal Powwow from Friday through Sunday.  The powwow theme is “Honoring Those Who Serve our Community.” 

The Powwow will feature social and competition dancing, singing, arts and crafts, and food.  Serving as Northern Host drum will be the nationally known Stoney Creek Singers, based in the Haliwa-Saponi Community, and the Southern Host Drum will be Southern Sun Singers of Pembroke, NC.

Grand Entry of dancers will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12  noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 1  p.m. on Sunday.  The public will be able to visit with craft demonstrators and a large contingent of over 350 Native American Dancers. The event will be held at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School and Powwow grounds near Hollister, NC. 

The Haliwa-Saponi dancers and singers will be joined by members of the Meherrin, Lumbee, Waccamaw-Siouan, Coharie, Ojibwa, Tuscarora, Piscataway, Chickahominy, Rappahannock, Cherokee, Sioux, Iroquois, Navajo, and other tribes, just to name a few.  Hundreds of dancers and singers will compete for over $15,000 in prize money in many different categories.

Saturday will feature the crowning of the new Miss Haliwa-Saponi Tribal Princess for 2008-2009.  Also on Saturday, the family of the late Staff Sergeant John S. Hedgepeth will sponsor a “Moccasin Blowout” dance contest in honor of Hedgepeth who lost his life in January.  The special will feature the Men’s Fancy Dance style, one of the most exciting styles of dance in the powwow arena.

The public will be able to purchase some of the finest Native American crafts available.  Items for sale include turquoise jewelry, moccasins, pottery, beadwork, rugs, music, books, paintings, dreamcatchers, and other authentic items.  Food will include buffalo burgers, Indian tacos, Indian frybread, venison sandwiches, and traditional southern and Haliwa-Saponi style dishes. 

People attending the Powwow last year traveled from such places as Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and Florida for the annual celebration. 

The Haliwa-Saponi Indian people have more than 3,800 enrolled members and are descendants of the Saponi, Nansemond, Tuscarora and other regional tribes.

The State of North Carolina formally recognized the Haliwa Indian Tribe in 1965 and the organization became incorporated in 1972 and in 1979 they added Saponi to their tribal name to reflect the historical origins of the people.

Admission to the Powwow is as follows:  Ages 0-6 Free, 7-61- $6, ages 62 & up $5. 

For more information, please visit the web site at www.haliwa-saponi.comor call the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal Center at (252) 586-4017.  You can email the center at  alynch@haliwa-saponi.com or mrichardson@haliwa-saponi.com