Powwow Brings Color, Rhythm, Fun to Park

Clad in colorful costumes of leather, bead and feather, about 250 dancers from more than 50 Native American tribes converged on Lake Casitas Saturday for the park’s sixth annual powwow.

Hundreds more of their friends and relatives came simply to be at the powwow--a chance for Native Americans from across the country to celebrate their culture with food and dance, and to meet old friends.

A handful of earthen-colored tepees studded the lawn beside the lake. Vendors hawked everything from coyote leg bones to beaded moccasins. The aroma of Indian fry bread and beans drifted across the park.

And the gentle ting of bells strapped to dancers’ calves coupled with the rhythmic pounding of drums as dancers tried to outdo each other in contests of endurance, skill and style.

“We come mostly to keep up with the culture,” said Louis Andrade, an Oxnard resident and elder of the La Jolla band of the Luiseno tribe. “It’s the nearest thing to the way things were a long time ago.”

It is also a way, said some, for Native Americans to share their culture with others.

“Powwows are for everyone,” said Corina Roberts, founder of Redbird, a Native American cultural organization. “There are not very many Native American ceremonies that are open to the public, so this is one of the only ways for non-Indians to see any of the culture.”

Ken Williams of Santa Barbara was one of many parents taking advantage of the powwow to teach his children about Native American culture. Saturday’s gathering was one of many such events he has attended with his three boys, Sal, Milo and Shane.

“I want the kids to know about the culture of the American Indians because that is what this country is about,” he said. “It is a culture that was almost vanquished, and this is a revival of that culture.”

Dan Kenney of Thousand Oaks planned a camping trip for his children--8-year-old Chris and 5-year-old Kate--around the event.

“We like to see the dancers and pick out crafts,” he said. “It’s nice to see all the different tribes.” Others, told by their parents that they have Native American ancestors, said they wanted to see what a powwow was all about.

“I have Indian blood in me, so I am especially enthralled with it,” said Anna Barker, who traveled from Sun Valley for the event. “They all seem so proud.”