Tradition will come to life during Indian festival

The second annual American Indian History Month Festival returns to the Dothan Civic Center Saturday, November 21. Organizers of the event believe this will be an educational opportunity for the entire community.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come together, close the textbooks and be a part of what is going on today,” said Sonya Smith, executive director of the Center for Community Advancement Inc., which is sponsoring this event.

Ms. Smith, a member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe,  says last year’s inaugural event was a good beginning, but she is hopeful that the 2009 edition will be even bigger.

“Last year’s event drew 300 spectators,” Ms. Smith said. “We definitely hope that number will grow this year. There is plenty of room in the Dothan Civic Center for the public to attend. We hope the local community will participate even more this year.”

The 2008 event drew a wide variety of participants who demonstrated dances traditionally associated with their tribal heritage. Ms. Smith also noted a variety of exhibitors were on hand to showcase items created by the different tribes. Tribal members will be available to explain the various exhibits. Festival attendees will also be able to hear the various tribal languages.

“We’d like to have the community interact with our unique cultures,” Ms. Smith added. “We want the community to see the diversity among the American Indian people.”

There are nine tribes that call Alabama home, including three in the Wiregrass area - the Star Clan of Muscogee Creeks, the Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians, and the Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe. The north central region of Alabama is home to the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama, the Echota Cherokee Tribe, the United Cherokee Ani-Yun-Wiya Na-tion and the Piqua Shawnee Tribe. Southwest Alabama is home to the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

A lot of the pageantry associated with tribal customs will be on display during the festival, and Ms. Smith says this takes the various Indian cultures off the textbook page and into real life for the visitors who come to the event.

“The opening is pretty special,” Ms. Smith said as she explained the festival’s schedule of events. “We open with gourd dancing, which is the blessing of the circle. We will have friends from Louisiana and Tennessee taking part in the opening, which is performed by tribal members who have served in the U.S. military.”

Next on the schedule is the grand entry.

“The grand entry, featuring traditional dress, includes all of the dancers who are taking part in the festival,” Ms. Smith said.

Included in the grand entry is a performance by a nationally renowned drum team.

“Following the grand entry, there is a time for the veterans prayer service, which honors all military members, Indian and non-Indian,” Ms. Smith continued. “They are invited into the circle.

“This service is done to honor all military men and women and their great service to our country. At this time, a veterans’ song is performed by the White Horse Singers (Echota Cherokee).”

Once the grand entry ceremonies are concluded, the participants will exit the arena and make room for dance demonstrations.

“Following the grand entry, individual dance styles will begin,” Ms. Smith as she continued to discuss the day’s activities. “We will have a lot of diversity in dance styles on display at this time.”

Ms. Smith says the plan for each year is to feature a particular dance style.

“We will feature Stomp Dancing this year,” Ms. Smith noted. “This is a new addition this year and will feature a performance by our special guests, the Muskogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma.”

The schedule will also include more individual dance styles before closing with the two competitive dance divisions performing. The divisions are Men’s Fancy and Women’s Fancy.

“The activities have definitely increased this year,” Ms. Smith said. “It is a true southeastern United States event this year.”

Special guests scheduled to attend include Marcia Johnston of the Buffalo woman Flute Music, the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma Stomp Dancers (Saundra, Speedy and Little Hawk), Ms. Indian Alabama and many more.

Ms. Smith suggests that those planning to attend the American Indian History Month Festival purchase their tickets in advance.

“Not only do we encourage the public to purchase their tickets in advance, but we also encourage them to arrive early to take in all of all the activities that have been scheduled,” Ms. Smith said. “The doors will open at 4:30 p.m.”

She says spectators will have an opportunity to view the exhibits before the schedule of events gets under way. Even though the event has an educational focus, she says there will be plenty of fun activities for the entire family.

Tickets are $10 per person. Children five and under are admitted free. The tickets are available through the Dothan Civic Center Box Office.