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IF YOU GO
What: Pow Wow on the River When: Sunday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Where: First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Reggie White Blvd. Admission: $10 adult single-day pass, $5 for kids age 6-12, seniors over 55 and students with ID; free for EMS, firefighters, police, active or retired military with ID. SPECIAL EVENTS TODAY Easter Service: 10:30 a.m. Grand Entry: Noon Aztec dancers: 3:30 p.m. Flutist Gareth Lassely: After Grand Entry POW WOW PROTOCOL * During Grand Entry, men must remove hats, and photos are not allowed. * Ask permission to take photos of performers. * Dogs are allowed on leashes.
Four men sit in a circle facing each other. Andy Spell, stoic behind dark sunglasses, nods to the others. In unison, they raise their mallets into the air and strike the skin of the large drum between them. Spell throws his head back as he begins to sing the flag song of the Ponca tribe of Oklahoma. The words of the seemingly incoherent chant have definite meaning.
Young man, through all your hard times and troubles, you still fought for this flag.
A color guard bearing the American flag and a POW/MIA flag enters a large open circle ringed with bales of hay. Behind them, a steady stream of dancers in full American Indian regalia enter, dancing in rhythmic steps that jingle the bells around their ankles. As the repetition of the mallet strikes increases, the dancers become a fusion of colors and feathers. The singing, the dancing, and the drumming are part of the "Grand Entry," one of the ceremonial highlights of the annual Pow Wow on the River, happening at the First Tennessee Pavilion this weekend.
The pow wow has drawn American Indians from all over the United States to Chattanooga for the last eight years. It's organized by Native American Services, a nonprofit whose mission is to preserve Native American history and culture in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.
Tammera Hicks, CEO of Native American Services, organized the event. Hicks, who's part Cherokee, said the pow wow is very much a "family homecoming," offering attendees a chance to catch up with friends each year, though it's also meant to be educational for others.
"We do it for us, but we also do it for the public," Hicks said. "There are a lot of people in the Southeast that have native blood, but haven't had encouragement to embrace it."
Isaac Duncan III was there, watching the dancers with his 10-year-old son, also Isaac, who is learning about American Indians in his social studies class. Duncan and his son don't have any American Indian blood, but that's not what it's about for Duncan.
"It's always good to participate with different cultures," Duncan said. "This is beautiful right now."
One of the dancers was Jackie Ross of Athens, Ala., decked out in full northern traditional regalia, complete with a headdress and tail feathers. Descended from Cherokee and Creek Indians, it's important to Ross to honor his ancestors.
"If you don't know where you're from, you don't know where you're going," he said.
Ross and his wife, Whitney, are raising their three daughters to embrace their heritage. All three girls -- 7-year-old Harmony, 5-year-old Willow and 3-year-old Jocelynn -- were there, all in regalia, all dancing.
"I want our kids to know about our culture, so that they'll pass it on to their kids, and hopefully keep our traditions alive," Ross said.
Moments later, Harmony's age group was called up to perform a "fancy dance." Ross scooted over to the opening of the circle and watched with pride as his daughter, with her neon streamers flying, danced new life into the traditions of their forefathers.
Contact Will Healey at whealey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.