CHARENTON — Interested spectators crowded the arena and watched as dancers from Native American tribes from across the U.S. made their Grand Entry into the inaugural Chitimacha Pow Wow to the beat of the drum and chants of the musicians at The Pavilion at the Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel Saturday.
The lead dancer bounced, jumped and spun around to the heavy beat being pounded out by the drummers, the feathers of his headdress bobbing in rhythm as well. The other dancers followed in line behind also bouncing to the tribal rhythm, the bells and jingles tied into their regalia rang in time, adding their own sound to the music.
“That drum is the heartbeat of our people,” said Craig Hall, a musician from the Blackfeet Tribe, from Browning, Montana. “They say without the drum and our language we wouldn’t have anything.”
The drum is an extremely respected instrument among his tribe, he explained, playing a major role in social and ceremonial activities.
“Whether it’s the big pow wow drum or a hand drum,it’s very important to us,” he said. “We don’t use alcohol around the drum. It’s a holy thing to us. We treat it as our grandfather.”
The Grand Entry followed the Gourd Dance, which consisted of several songs, each ending in ahowl as a tribute to the RedWolf, said the announcer.After the Grand Entry andsome short dances, the public was invited to the dance floor to dance with the dancers.
Richard Picard, of the Chitimacha Pow Wow Committee, said he estimated at least 300 people had showed up in the first few hours of the Pow Wow, which lasted from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
“Things are going great for first our pow wow,” Picard said. “We’re having a great showing and great turnout as far as our dancers, our tribes as well as spectators.”
The event is a chance for different tribes to come together and share their cultures with each other and the surrounding communities.
“I love it!” exclaimed Amy Goodrich of New Iberia, who was there with her son. “I’ve always wanted to come to something like this, but this is the first time I’ve come. I love the colors and their dress wear.”
The Chitimachas weren’t the only tribe there to share their culture. Jeannie Rivera-Martinez, of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas was there to sell her hand-made goods and share her culture with the Chitimachas and the local Cajuns.
Rivera-Martinez sold dream catchers, “cuddle dolls” and number of other goods and art works.
“So far (the Chitimachas) are doing a really good job. There’s a good spectator turnout,” she said. “I think pow wows are the most important thing in the world. I grew up in the pow wow community. I started as a dancer and as I got older I discovered my arts and crafts. We’ve been arts and craft vendors for the past 20 years. Everything we have is hand made.”
Sharing his culture, Hall said, is the reason he goes to pow wows.
“It’s what we live for,” he said. “We love doing it. Sharing our dance and songs we make, that’s what we come for. The main reason we come is to make people feel good through our song, make them dance, make them have a good time. Our main goal is to make the people feel happy, lift their spirits.”