By Peggy R. Shearin
Observer Correspondent

More than 2,000 people attended this year’s Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribal Pow Wow over the April 20-22 weekend.
Tribal members, guests, members from other tribes, as well as the paying public, made up the number, with visitors traveling from such places as Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and Florida.
Festivities began Friday evening at 4 p.m. with Rev. MacArthur Mills and James Anstead holding the Fireside Ceremony. Chief Rev. Ron Richardson welcomed all the visitors, participants and tribal members.
The Grand Entry Ceremonies were lead by Junior Head Dancers Brittany Anstead and Tokeya Waci U Richardson, and Head Dancers Crying Sparrow Plain Bull and Wayahsti Richardson.
A total of 269 dancers performed during the three-day event. Dances performed included:
• Men’s Northern Traditional Dance, which allows for much individual expression on the part of the dancer and was originally a dance of the Indians of the northern plains.
• Men’s Southern Straight Dance, which is a gentlemen’s dance that tells a story of hunting or war parties.
• Ladies’ Traditional Buckskin Dance, which was originally a dance exclusive to princesses and ladies in leadership roles, but now is open to all.
• Ladies’ Southern Cloth Dance, the counterpart to the men’s Southern Straight Dance.
• Fancy War Dance, used to help its participants recall deep-seated feelings and traditions, it is also used to help pass on a sense of native traditions to the next generation.
• Grass Dance, which is among the most ancient of tribal dances, with at least three tribes performing their version with each having different ideas as to the origin of the dance.
• Fancy (Shawl) Dance, which is the women’s version of fancy dancing, and has only been around for several decades.
• Jingle Dress Dance, which originated among the Canadian tribes as a dance of pride and dignity that allows a significant amount of individual expression.
One of the highlights of the Pow wow is the crowning of Miss Haliwa-Saponi Indian Princess and Miss Haliwa-Saponi Senior Indian Princess.
The 2007-08 princess is Stephanie Richardson, daughter of Johnnie Ray and Cheryl Richardson, a junior at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School, she is president of the student government association and a member of the Native American Dance Team, and also a representative for the North Carolina Native American Youth Organization.
The 2007-08 Miss Haliwa-Saponi Senior Indian Princess is Shirley T. Richardson, wife of Carvin Richardson, of Warrenton. She is employed by the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe as an outreach coordinator for the community, and is a member of the Mount Bethel Baptist Church.
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.