DANVILLE — For people who enjoy Native American culture, Saturday was a time of celebration. The Tecumseh Lodge conducted it’s Midwinter Powwow at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds.
“The motivation is a social dance,” said Ray Kappmeyer, vice president of the Tecumseh Lodge. “Powwows take place all over the country. What we’re doing is basically what takes place out in Oklahoma. You go to a dance any particular weekend. It’s just people who have an interest in Native American culture.”
All of the proceeds from the event went to assist Project A.N.G.E.L. Admission for spectators was either a bag of canned goods or a donation to the project.
“We are a not-for-profit organization and we donate money to Native American scholarship funds,” Kappmeyer said. “This year, there’s a lot of need in the local area for help. We’ve decided that all of the proceeds from this particular event we’re donating to Project A.N.G.E.L. Project A.N.G.E.L. is a Hendricks County organization and most of the people who come to the event live in Hendricks County. It’s only natural that we donate back to the community.”
The group that performed the powwow also has a great tradition.
“This group started almost 50 years ago,” Kappmeyer said. “It was generated by a group of boyscouts interested in Native American culture and it came about as they grew up.”
Chebon White from Lebanon and Corey Dawn Leroy from Reelsville were the head dancers. The first dance that was performed was the gourd dance, which is primarily a dance for men and representatives of warrior society. That was followed by the intertribal dance, which features men and women wearing Native American clothing. The dance is open to anyone who wants to participate.
“Anybody who has an interest in Native American dancing and put together dance clothes is welcome to dance,” Kappmeyer said.
The musical performances were done by the Strong Heart Singers and the Kingfisher Singers. Teed Howard served as the master of ceremonies. The event also featured a number of vendors selling and demonstrating Native American items. The music is created by a group of performers from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.
“The singers are a unique group that takes years of practice,” Kappmeyer said. “There are just a few groups around that sing.”
The Tecumseh Lodge also sponsors another powwow at the Tipton County Fair Grounds on Labor Day.
“Labor Day weekend, we’re coming up on our 49th annual Tecumseh Lodge dance, which we hold in Tipton County,” Kappmeyer said. “We’ve been up there since 1978. At that dance, we usually have, on average 400 dancers who come from all over the country.”
ryan.palencer@flyergroup.com
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