NEWBURY PARK : Chumash Powwow Preserves Tradition
Bringing an ancient Chumash tradition to life, the California Indian Council will hold its sixth annual powwow today and Sunday at Borchard Community Center in Newbury Park.
The council, a private, nonprofit group that seeks to preserve Native American tradition, invites the public to attend the event from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at 190 N. Reino Road.
Dancing, drumming and the jewelry and crafts of Native American artisans will be featured, as will games and food such as Navajo tacos and fry bread.
Native American dancers will compete for prizes, and items donated by local merchants and craftsmen will be raffled off.
Attendance at the event, which will be held in cooperation with the Conejo Recreation and Parks District, is free.
Long before the Spanish set foot in Ventura County, the Chumash and other local tribes--the Gabrielino and the Miwok--would meet to celebrate the fall harvest, said council President Richard Angulo. Acorns, pine cones, sage and other products were gathered at that time in preparation for winter, he said.
The powwow, a term derived from the Cherokee word for “gathering for peace,” re-enacts this.
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