Nanticoke Indian Tribe sets 44th Annual Powwow Sept. 10-11
Hudson Fields of Milton is proud to host the Nanticoke Indian Tribe’s 44th Annual Powwow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10 and 11, 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 10 a.m., Sunday.
The powwow moved to Hudson Fields in 2021 and attracted a crowd of thousands both days.
Vendors for food, music, jewelry, souvenirs, arts and crafts, beadwork, leather and regalia supplies are expected. A kids’ corner will have face painting and make-and-take crafts. Host drums will be from Red Blanket of New Jersey and Stoney Creek of North Carolina.
Members of the tribal community wish to share their voices, customs and traditions. While members of the tribe request that people ask permission before taking photos of individuals, they very much encourage people to ask questions.
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 & Conservation Connections, a tribute to 9/11 with native flute, and a children’s area being presented through the Brandywine Zoo.
Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children 11 to 17, and free to children under 10. 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 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: Sussex County Council, Carl Freeman Foundation, USAA, Beebe Healthcare, the Burton family, Chuck Hall’s State Farm Agency, Community Bank, Henkels & McCoy, Short’s Marine, SPI Pharma, Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Delaware Temporary Staffing, Compassion & Choices, Nause-Waiwashi Band of Indians Inc., Native Roots Farm Foundation, Parsons & Robins P.A., Sombar & Company, Tony Street & Sons Septic Services LLC, Jeff O’Day Plumbing & Heating, New Ark United Church of Christ, Nutter Lumber, Unitarian Universalist Society and Watson Funeral Home.
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.
