Native Americans gather
Annual powwow starts Friday
By Lori Steinhauer
Of the Emerald
Eagle tail feathers and head feathers will spin with
traditional dancers in buckskin costumes this weekend
in McArthur Court, and spectators may want to capture
the action on film. But if an eagle feather drops to the
floor, the dancing will be interrupted for a special
ceremony, and no photographs are to be taken, accor
ding to ancient Native American tradition.
“The eagle is sacred to us because that is our way
of getting in touch with the Creator,” says Lori Edmo,
University Native American Student Union co-director.
The Native American gatherings began as a
religious ceremony for young tribesmen going to and
coming from war, says Raymond Burke, 61, tribal chief
and judge of the Umatilla Indian Reservation outside of
Pendleton.
Burke says when a dancer drops an eagle feather, a
warrior tells a war story and receives a gift for telling
the story before the feather is returned to the dancer.
The gatherings create a setting in which senior
Native Americans pass on words of wisdom to their
younger counterparts.
War dance competitions became a traditional part
of the ceremonies now called “powwows,” Burke says.
“Some of the people get a little perturbed when
you call it a powwow, especially on the reservations,”
Burke says. ”1 think that was the white man word.”
”1.don’t know how powwows got in there, but I
think it was from the movies,” he adds.
Native American traditions will be preserved and
shared through song and dance with Native and non
Native Americans of the Northwest at this weekend’s
17th annual NASU Powwow.
“That’s how we learned as children... not by
reading books,” Edmo says.
Of the 90 declared Native American students at the
University, about 30 or 40 take part in NASU and in the
planning of this major extravaganza.
The NASU Powwow is one of the largest Native
American gatherings in western Oregon, and at least
300 people, including up to 200 Native Americans from
about 20 different tribes are expected to come to this
weekend's event. Some Eugene community members
will share their homes for the weekend with some of the
travelers.
The show and feast, which cost $3,000 to put on, is
funded by the Incidental Fee Committee, Council for
Minority Education, NASU fund raising and other
donations, Edmo says. Although this weekend’s
Powwow is free to the public, donations for the per
formers are welcome, she adds.
A Grand Entry ceremony and traditional dancing
are scheduled to last from 8 p.m. tol2a.m. Friday and
Saturday. Exhibits, plus competitive and inter-tribal
dancing will fill Saturday’s noon to 5 p.m. activities.
Sunday at noon a traditional feast of salmon and
buffallo will be held at The Longhouse at 1606 Colum
bia, which is NASU’s gathering place for social and
cultural events.
Edmo says the emcee at Mac Court will inform the
public when to participate in circle dances, also called
friendship dances. Art Broncheau, NASU co-director,
adds that people are encouraged to ask questions
because the Powwow’s purpose is to educate the
University community about the Native American
culture.
Singing is an essential part of the gathering, Edmo
says. “If we didn't have the songs to hand down from
one generation to the next, there wouldn’t be any
dancing.”
The evenings open with the Grand Entry of dancers
lined up and flag holders, who are Native American
veterans of war, behind them. The flags are planted in
the center of the floor, followed by a flag song and a
prayer.
The flags and flag holders remain in position in the
center until the end, when the song is sung to retire the
flags and their holders for the evening.
The Powwow represents similar traditions of dress
ing up, dancing, drumming and feasting of various
tribes. “Each tribe is not the same, we are all different,
Emerald file photo
Eagle tail feathers will only be part of the Native
American Powow scheduled for this weekend in
McArthur Court.
but we do all get together at this time to share our
cultures and see our friends,” Edmo says.
Edmo says that while most of NASU’s active
members grew up on reservations, some grew up in ur
ban areas. “But they still try to keep their heritage,”
she says.
For more information about NASU and the
Powwow call 686-3723.
Network gives Latin culture without politics
By Lori Steinhauer
Of th« Emerald
Merengue dances from the Domincan
Republic, ancient Inca architecture from
Machu Picchu and other parts of Latin
American culture are seldom seen in the
news today without being accompanied
by political overtones.
However, in February, after a fruitless
search fora non-political, bilingual Latin
American club in Eugene, four people
from Latin American countries created
Encuentro Latino Americano Cultural
Educativo (l,atin American Educational
Cultural Encounter). ENLACE weaves
together a Latin American educational
cultural network excluding politics
altogether.
Now with about 20 active participants
from the University and the community,
ENLACE meets weekly and holds
periodical dances, presentations and
other events for people who want to
learn more about the customs and
languages of various Latin American
countries.
“In l,atin America we know a lot about
the United States, but in the United
States we know very little about Latin
America except for the drastic shots you
r
i
see in the news,” says Susana Rice, one
of ENLACE’s coordinators.
Rice, a 1983 international studies
graduate of the University, moved to
Oregon in 1976 with her husband, a
member of the U.S. Air Force who she
met in Panama in 1972.
Rice says of ENLACE, “It becomes
really international, and you want to get
together and know more about each
other.”
Latin American countries have
similarities and differences resembling
those between the United States and
C.IUCIOUU me piiuiu
Ligia Morales (left) and Susana Rice, two ENLANCE founders, show items from
Latin American culture.
Canada. However, in Latin America
dialects and accents vary more
dramatically. Rice says. For instance, the
four founders of ENLACE had difficulty
finding a name that fit the organization
without changing or losing meaning
from one country to another.
Although ENLACE has been tem
porarily holding meetings and events at
the Council for Human Rights in Latin
America at 1236 Kincaid St. the group is
seeking a permanent meeting place. At
the Council, Latin American dance
classes sponsored by ENLACE are held
every Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. for $2 per
class. In addition, the group has brought
Ritmo Tropical, a Latin musical group
from Portland, to the Council for mon
thly benefits to help cover ENLACE’s
events and publicity expenses.
On Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. 10 Chileans
will share Chilean food, music and
culture at the Council. Procedes from the
event will go to Chile earthquake vic
tims, Rice says.
“Eventually we would like to expand
and bring in speakers from those (Latin
American) countries,” Rice says.
For more information about ENLACE
call 342-8047 or 485-4579.
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