The deed-signing ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. Normal powwow festivities will begin around noon. The annual event is part family reunion, part homecoming and part cultural celebration. The public is welcome, and admission is free, though donations are accepted at the door. “The purpose in the powwow, for me, is first and foremost to educate the public, with the lack of education on native culture in public schools,” Jesse Bass said. “But for some of us, it’s more like a homecoming. We see people that we only see once a year. I get to see all my family, not necessarily just my blood family, but people we powwow with.” The event features Nansemond and other tribe members showcasing ceremonial dances and traditional regalia, craft and cultural displays and food concessions. This year’s drum group, which will provide the music for the dances, will be Stony Creek, which is based in North Carolina. “We have the best drum group on the East Coast,” Bass said. Bass said after the tribe actually owns the land, leaders hope to be able to do bigger and better things with future powwows. “It will be ours to do as we please,” he said. “I hope to be able to do a lot more, like a school day on a Friday. We want to make it bigger and better to draw more people from all over the place.” Chief Barry Bass encouraged people to come out and learn. “It’s part of celebrating our heritage and honoring our ancestors,” he said. “Come out and see the culture and learn the culture.” The powwow location is at the end of Pembroke Lane, which runs off Godwin Boulevard directly across from Oakland Elementary School. The event is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Grand entry of the dancers is at noon on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 23:18:07 +0000
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