Painted Faces In The Valley Spring Pow Wow

Patrick Littlewolf, a member of the Tuscarora Tribe and a Raritan Valley Community College student, will serve as head male dancer at the Painted Faces In The Valley Spring Pow Wow being held April 9. (Photo by Paul Gowder)

BRANCHBURG - Parents and educators often teach children that to understand different ways of life they need to leave our shores.

Patrick Littlewolf, a member of the Tuscarora Tribe and a Raritan Valley Community College student, is out to change that notion. He is one of the organizers of the Painted Faces In The Valley Spring Pow Wow, a major cultural event focused on educating the community about Native American life.

The Pow Wow will be held Saturday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Raritan Valley Community College, 118 Lamington Road. Through dance, music, crafts and food, the event will celebrate the traditions and heritage of Native Americans and their contributions to our history and the landscape of our society.

Littlewolf is a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He grew up on the Tuscarora Reservation in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and also lived with family in North Carolina.

His upbringing, he says, included both Native American and Christian traditions. "My family wanted me to have an understanding of living in both worlds," he explains, adding that he decided to follow the Native American way of life.

"As a community college, we are dedicated to bringing together all peoples to share traditions and learn from each other," said college President Michael J. McDonough. "Our commitment to diversity enriches the intellectual environment on campus and in the community and fosters a greater understanding of our global society."

In addition to providing the community with an educational event, the Pow Wow will offer Native Americans -- including those from New Jersey -- the opportunity to reconnect with their fellow Native Americans from all across North America through their shared ritual, music and dance, according to a news release.

The Pow Wow is being presented by the college and RavensWing Productions, a Native American company of dancers, teachers, storytellers and crafters, co-owned by Littlewolf and Emelie Jeffries.

The Pow Wow will feature approximately 150 dancers from tribal nations across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The public will be treated to the talents of Native American singers, dancers, and drummers, as well as crafts and food vendors representing tribal nations across North America.

The Native American culture also will be represented in the display and sale of Native jewelry, artwork, clothing, quillwork, leather, and more.

When Littlewolf began his college studies a few years ago, he says he was "excited about the diversity" at Raritan Valley Community College, but soon realized the contributions of Native Americans were often being overlooked.

Littlewolf then consulted his clan mothers who encouraged him to "make his mark" at the college. His first project was organizing a Veterans Day program honoring Native and Non-Native warriors. The Pow Wow is a far more ambitious project that he is organizing with Emelie Jeffries and RVCC Professor of Anthropology Stephen Kaufman.

The Pow Wow, says Littlewolf, will focus more on education and less on competition. A highlight of the day will be the celebrated Grand Entry of Dancers at noon, featuring a procession of dancers of various styles representing their respective nations behind the Eagle Staff, which will be carried by Chief Mark Gould of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation and accompanied by Sister Nations Color Guard, a group of Native American women veterans representing various tribal nations.

The Color Guard will present the colors in Native regalia alongside other Native American veterans and elders. Dennis Zotigh will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Zotigh is a Kiowa, San Juan Pueblo and Santee Dakota and is a member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan. He is a descendent of Sitting Bear and No Retreat, both principal war chiefs of the Kiowa.

Littlewolf will serve as Head Male Dancer and will be joined by Chelsea Fish of the Lakota and Seminole nations, who will serve as Head Female Dancer.

Other scheduled performers include nationally recognized drum groups SilverCloud Singers, WarPaint, Wild Band, Red Blanket and Medicine Horse, world champion hoop dancers, The Sinquah Family Dancers, and the Haudenosaunee Smoke Dancers. Eagle Pines Falconry, featuring Master Falconer Anita Yeattes, will bring "winged wonders" from around the world. The Pow Wow will conclude with a special Closing Ceremony at 6 p.m.

The program is the culmination of a two-day celebration of Native American culture that will begin with the School Day at Painted Faces In The Valley Spring Pow Wow on April 8.

Approximately 700 local students in grades K-12, along with educators and parents, are expected to participate in an interactive cultural experience at the college.

Native American artists, dancers, and craftspeople will conduct workshops in their areas of expertise, ranging from bow-making to quillwork, giving students a hands-on learning experience about how contemporary indigenous people of the Americas continue to carry on their lifestyles and traditions.

The April 9 event will be held rain or shine and gates will open at 9 a.m. Admission is cash only. Those attending are asked to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Parking is free. Pets and coolers will not be permitted on the Pow Wow grounds.

Local Scout, community, and religious groups are encouraged to attend. Group rates are available. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for youngsters ages 6-12, college students with ID, veterans and seniors. Children under 6 years old will be admitted free of charge. The event is also free for active military in uniform and first responders with ID.

Net proceeds from the event will support Native American programming and scholarships at the college.

For more information about the Painted Faces In The Valley Spring Pow Wow, email paintedfaces@raritanval.edu.