The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Celebration of culture
Hammonasset fair welcomes visitors Saturday, Sunday
GUILFORD — The air is charged with great energy and enthusiasm as volunteers arrive at the Guilford Fairgrounds on Friday, Sept. 28, to rope off the parking lot, decorate the grounds, and set up tents, tables, and chairs in preparation for the eighth Hammonassett Festival.
Vendors and exhibitors arrive throughout Friday afternoon to set up their booths and prepare their displays. They work tirelessly into the night, getting settled and preparing for the opening of the gates on Saturday morning.
As the sun rises early Saturday, the fairgrounds are dotted with closed-up tents and all is quiet except for the singing of the birds. Then volunteers arrive, tent sides open and the smell of coffee permeates the air. It’s Sept. 29 and the festival is about to begin.
The Hammonassett Festival, which drew crowds of almost 5,000 people in 2017, is scheduled this year for Saturday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival was founded in 2005 by Madison residents Dale Carson (Abenaki) and Don Rankin, to celebrate nature and Native American culture.
The celebration honors the Hammonassett tribe that lived in the area, while raising awareness of indigenous culture and history, and fostering respect for the environment. The Festival is presented by the Friends of Hammonasset (FOH), a nonprofit volunteer organization that works to preserve and enrich the natural resources of Hammonasset Beach State Park and the surrounding area, and provides public environmental awareness programs.
“We chose “Children and Families: We Are All Connected” as this year’s theme to complement the celebration,” explains Barbara Hanson, Festival Chair. “Children and families are at the heart of all cultures, they are the beginning and the future.”
The festival provides a selection of family-centered activities to promote the three areas of our theme: honoring each other, respecting the environment, and healthy food/healthy families.
After the gates open, a large crowd gathers at the Dance Circle for the Native American prayer and smudging ceremony led by Allan Saunders (Mohegan). Allan Muks Na'gwa'gut (Wolf That Wanders) uses the centuries-old tradition of smudging to release negative energy and restore balance and harmony.
Erin Lamb-Meeches (Schaghticoke) and the ever-popular Native Nations Dance Troupe return this year and will enter the Dance Circle through the arbor from the east. The Native American dancers share their dances and interpretations, dressed in traditional regalia and accompanied by live singing and drumming of Native drum group Storm Boyz. Nationally-known performance artist, Tchin (Narragansett/ Blackfeet), will perform “traditional storytelling infused with the visual excitement of magic.” As part of his captivating performance, he plays the seldom seen or heard Courting Flute.
The Chankas of Peru return, performing the Scissors Dance, originating in the ancient Chanka region of Peru. It is a traditional Andean ritual competition between two or more dancers.
Throughout the weekend, musician, artist, and flute maker Allan Madahbee (Ojibway) performs Native American flute music and original songs on guitar. He has been constructing hand-carved Chippewa flutes for more than 10 years and offers these traditional instruments for sale.
When there’s a break in the schedule, visitors can take time to wander through the outdoor vendor area with handmade jewelry, wampum products, wood carvings, moccasins, clothing and accessories, dream catchers, paintings and prints, and a variety of other items, representing tribes from many areas of the country including Mohegan, Narragansset, Navajo, Nipmuck, Paugussett, Pequot, Pueblo, Schaghticoke, Wampanoag, and more.
Guests can also experience the atlatl sport, part of the current surge of recreational interest in “primitive skills.” The World Atlatl Association promotes
“Children and families are at the heart of all cultures.”
Barbara Hanson, festival chairman
atlatling, and its members are officially scored and eligible for awards in International Standard Accuracy Contest competitions. On the south side of the fairgrounds, WAA members gather at the atlatl field for the New England Atlatl Day events. ISAC takes place Friday afternoon, Saturday until 4 p.m., and Sunday until 1 p.m., with a Woolly Mammoth “hunt” and other local events.
Respecting the environment : The Legend of Turtle Island
Skywoman fell like a maple seed. A column of light streamed from a hole in Skyworld, marking her path where only darkness had been before. Hurtling downward, she saw only dark water below. But in that emptiness there were many eyes gazing up at the sudden shaft of light. The geese nodded at one another and rose together to break her fall. A great turtle offered his back for her to rest upon. Gratefully, she stepped from the goose wings onto the dome of his shell.
The animals knew that she would need land for her home. They had heard of mud at the bottom of the water and agreed to find some. After many attempts by many animals, little Muskrat brought a handful of mud to aid this helpless human, and in so doing gave his life.
Turtle said to put the mud on his back for him to hold. Skywoman bent and spread the mud with her hands across the shell of the turtle. She sang in thanksgiving and began to dance. The land grew and grew as she danced her thanks from the dab of mud on Turtle’s back until the whole earth was made. The alchemy of all the animals’ gifts together with Skywoman’s deep gratitude formed what we know today as Turtle Island, our home.
The festival will have many exhibitors, including museums, animal rescue organizations, nature centers, and environmental groups. They will share their stories, activities, and statistics to enlighten, astound, and motivate their guests. Check out the observation bee hive at Natural Hive Apiary, and the 17th century Eastern Woodlands lifeways exhibit presented by the Ansonia Nature Center (Saturday only), let the kids make their own reusable bags at Bring Your Own Guilford, plus many more hands-on, interactive and educational displays.
And don’t miss the live wildlife shows presented multiple times during the weekend. Christine Cummings and Todd Secki of A Place Called Hope will introduce you to an owl, hawk, falcon and crow. They tell their stories in order to help people better understand ways to co-exist with and preserve wildlife for the future.
Straight from the Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonasset Beach State Park, Ranger Russ Miller introduces all to live reptiles and amphibians, native to Connecticut. He teaches characteristics and features of each species, sharing through education the uniqueness of Connecticut’s natural resources and the importance of protecting and preserving them.
Health food and families
Eating local foods with the seasons is a sure way to eat healthy. On Sunday, Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag) presents information about eating healthy with the seasons by following traditional Eastern Woodlands food lifeways. She also presents “Cooking with Kids”, a family-based activity where children learn how to grind with mortar and pestle, mix batter, and “make and take” Johnny (corn) Cakes.
Judith Dreyer, MS, BSN, author, speaker and Master Gardener, shares her knowledge of wild edibles. She offers insight, wisdom and practical tips on how to safely identify plants for edible and/or medicinal uses. At her booth, she will sign her book, At the Garden's Gate, a personal story of walking a Medicine Wheel of truths while partnering with nature to create a diverse, natural meadow.
Young visitors to the Children’s Area will “gather food” from the sea and the land and learn the respectful ways that Native Americans fish, harvest, gather, and prepare food. There will also be stories, crafts, games, and music, and children can write love letters to Mother Earth, and vote for their favorite woodland animal.
The festival is organized and sponsored in part by the Friends of Hammonasset. Look for more information on Facebook.com/HammonassettFestival and www.hammonasset.org