This past weekend of July 11-13, we had the good fortune to
visit the Tuscarora Indian Reservation and attend the annual Summer Picnic and
Field Days. The Tuscarora have many ties
to Pennsylvania, migrating through here from North Carolina 300 years ago on
their way to a new home with the Iroquois Confederacy. They eventually settled in the Niagara Falls,
NY area, but they periodically return to Pennsylvania at various times
commemorating their ancestors’ migration.
The festival is an annual gathering that brings families and
clans together for a celebration. The
opening ceremonies were in “the grove”, across from their new community center. The grove was designated for the festival
about 80 years ago and now has a cement stage, food preparation and comfort facilities.
The Summer Festival celebrates its 170th
anniversary in 2015.
The parade into the grove consisted of chiefs carrying flags
and symbols of their nation, followed by the clan mothers. Neil Patterson Jr. spoke in Tuscarora giving
the opening welcome and prayer. There
are currently only six Tuscarora that speak the language but teaching their
language has been a project that is in the forefront for the Nation.
The Big Drum Ceremony called all the people together and a
special presentation was made to Lee Simonson.
His involvement in the December celebration of the Tuscarora Heroes
Monument (http://www.TuscaroraHeroes.com) in Lewiston, NY was acknowledged with a
fine plaque from the Nation.
The real festivities started when the dress and dancing
contests began. Children were clothed in
traditional clan dress, handmade by people in their clan (such as grandmothers,
mothers or even grandfathers). Beadwork
is always hand sewn and frequently depicts a clan symbol (such as the turtle,
bear, snipe, deer or beaver) or a significant event relating to the clan. Children are judged on their dress and show
great deportment while standing in front of the audience of hundreds of people.
The youngest, a one month old baby was held by his proud father.
The dancing contests began with the youngest (from 4 years
old on up) showcasing their renditions of traditional dance. It was impressive to see how serious the
children were when it came to honoring their traditions of dress and
dance. They were taught the dance steps
and worked diligently to do them correctly on that hot afternoon, while fully
clothed in traditional regalia.
After the children showcased their dance, the adults entered serious
competitions, especially in the traditional ‘Smoke Dance’. The dances represent periods of the past or
the transformation of a Tuscarora child into adulthood. Dancing brings the community together and
each has a symbolic meaning. The Rabbit
Dance is fast and symbolizes the hunter chasing the quick and clever rabbit
while the Smoke Dance symbolizes the growth of a child to a man or a woman.
Community, camaraderie, food, renewing traditions and
outreach are the spirit of the Tuscarora Annual Picnic. The cares of the outside world are far away
and left to be dealt with another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment