In Step With Culture

Clad in a leather gown covered with yellow and purple beads, Arlene Thompson sought shade and a break from dancing as drums thumped and singers shrieked.

“The dancing is mainly for ourselves,” said Thompson, who travels from a Navajo reservation in Chinle, Ariz., to perform the Women’s Northern Traditional Buckskin Dance at powwows across the nation.

“It keeps our spirits and our health up, and it keeps our families together.”

Thompson was one of hundreds of Native Americans who came to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa this weekend for the 30th annual Intertribal Powwow. The event strengthens cultural ties and allows artisans to sell their handmade work.

“The powwow is a team effort made of community members, both non-Indian and Indian, corporate sponsors and friends,” said John Castillo, executive director of the Southern California Indian Center Inc., which provides support for Native Americans. “It gets bigger and better every year.”

Vendors said that the powwow gives them a chance to celebrate their culture and work.

“It is imperative that we are here to share the authenticity and originality of Navajo crafts people’s designs,” said Karen Johnny, sales manager of Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise.

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But some vendors said it can be difficult to sell their artwork in a changing market.

Amos Hasken, a Navajo from Cameron, Ariz., has sold handmade silver bracelets for four years.

The jewelry market is being saturated by imports, he said, which makes it difficult for craftsmen to set their work apart.

“The tribe is trying to come up with a way to differentiate our jewelry.”

Although it is generally difficult to identify machine-produced jewelry, Asken said, the Costa Mesa event only allows handmade crafts.

The event will continue at the Orange County Fairgrounds today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.