Nanticoke Indian Tribe to host 46th Annual Powwow Sept. 7-8
Hudson Fields near Milton will host the Nanticoke Indian Tribe’s 46th Annual Powwow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8, at 30045 Eagle Crest Road, Milton.
Entrance fees are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 11-17, and free for children 10 and under.
Grand entry will be held at noon both days. A church service is set for 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Sunday.
Vendors for food, music, jewelry, souvenirs, arts and crafts, beadwork, leather and regalia supplies are expected. A kids’ corner will offer face painting and make-and-take crafts.
Members of the tribal community wish to share their voices, customs and traditions. While they request that people ask permission before taking photos of individuals, they definitely encourage attendees to ask questions.
“This is the time people can hear it from our mouths,” said Ragghi Rain, Nanticoke storyteller.
The tribal children have been practicing for months to present native dances in conjunction with professional Native American dancers from around the country.
Attractions include a car show organized through Delaware Street Rod Association, expanded dancing to include Aztec dancers, an interactive exhibition of birds with the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and Animal Behavior and Conservation Connections, and a tribute to 9/11 with native flute.
Shuttles will be available in the parking lot to bring people to the entrance both days. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the weekend.
No alcohol, no smoking and no drugs are permitted. Pets are prohibited except for service animals displaying proper credentials.
The Nanticoke Indian Association is gratefully accepting further contributions to support the event. To learn more, call 302-945-3400 or email info@nanticokeindians.org.
Sponsors thus far who are helping to make this year’s powwow a success are: Beebe Healthcare, Carl M. Freeman Foundation, Chuck Hall Insurance, Community Bank Delaware, Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Delaware Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs, M&T Bank, PNC Bank, Royal Farms, Short’s Marine, SPI Pharma Inc., and Sussex County Council, along with many other sponsors of ads for the powwow book.
The Nanticoke Indians are the native people of lower Delaware. In Algonquian, the common Indian language of Northeastern tribes, the word Nanticoke is translated from the original Nantaquak, meaning the tidewater people or people of the tidewaters. First contact with the Nanticoke Tribe was recorded by Capt. John Smith in 1608 when he was exploring the Chesapeake Bay and sailed up what is known today as the Nanticoke River.
Today there are about 700 members of the Nanticoke Indian Association and more than 2,000 people who can trace their heritage back to the tribe. For more information about the Nanticoke, go to NanticokeIndians.org.
