KAPA‘A — Dr. Kani Blackwell, coordinator of the Kaua‘i Powwow, was excited about this year’s powwow which wrapped up Sunday at Kapa‘a Beach Park. “We have more Native Americans coming from the Mainland and inter-island than we have ever had,”
KAPA‘A — Dr. Kani Blackwell, coordinator of the Kaua‘i Powwow, was excited about this year’s powwow which wrapped up Sunday at Kapa‘a Beach Park.
“We have more Native Americans coming from the Mainland and inter-island than we have ever had,” Blackwell said in an email. “Additionally, we had about 400 children being educated and informed about Native American culture during the outreach program.”
The educational outreach program was held Friday at Lydgate Park in Wailua, and featured students from Kapa‘a Elementary School, Island School, Kekaha Elementary School, and several home schoolers.
Blackwell was excited about the number of students turning out for the outreach program, getting help from Kmart and the Aloha Business Center to create activity booklets for each student.
“We have Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu Council board members attending the Kaua‘i Powwow to see how our school outreach program and how we do it,” Blackwell said.
Eric Manuelito of the Navajo Nation served as Head Man Dancer, Eric being the grandson of the famous Navajo Chief Manuelito.
Kimmer Horsen, the Kaua‘i Powwow hoop dancer, is from O‘ahu and said her grandfather, Bighorse, fought with Chief Manuelito.
Rose Sampson of the Yakima Nation returned to serve as Head Woman Dancer with Wildhorse Singers serving as the Host Drum.
John Dawson-San Carlos of the Apache Nation served as the Master of Ceremonies, an important position as valuable information about the powwow and its surrounding protocol is dispensed through him.
Some of these include no alcohol, drugs, or pets are allowed on powwow grounds which, once blessed, become spiritual grounds.
Additionally, some of the dances and ceremonies are sacred and photographs and recordings, both video, or audio, are not allowed.
Serving as the Color Guard for the three days, Three Nations of Arizona is made up of three men who hail from different nations and served America in the Armed Services in three different branches.
Bob Numkena, a lifetime member of the Kaua‘i Powwow Council, is of the Hopi Nation and served in the Air Force; Wes Ricks, of the Choctaw Nation, served in the Navy and Frank Mendoza of the Tarahumara Nation, served in the Army.
“We all served in Vietnam,” said Ricks, a proficient pentonic flute performer as well as leatherwork artist. “I was a water rat — a Brown Water Rat! The music I perform will be used in a movie, ‘Young Eagle, Distant Thunder,’ which the producer said should get a Grammy nomination.”
Mendoza, himself a leather artist, said all three men met in an art class in Arizona and went off to fight in Vietnam for the nation, returning to become Three Nations.
During the three days of powwow, there were numerous opportunities to talk story with the Native American guests, learn about the Native American culture while discussing Hawai‘i’s unique local style culture and experience the coming together of the many cultures which form the fabric of Kaua‘i lifestyle.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
