Paying their respect

Pow Wow brings Native American culture to the SCV

As Native American dancers in their best regalia, complete with vibrant outfits, headdresses and face paint, chanted and danced to the beat of the drums, the 26th annual Hart of the West Native American Pow Wow and Craft Fair was underway.

Hundreds gathered at Hart Park to watch ceremonial dances and explore the numerous vendor booths on Saturday and Sunday, including a number of Native Americans from various regions.

“Pow wows are traditionally a gathering of (Native American) nations, but it’s wonderful that we get to share this with others,” said Tanis Smith, a member of the Cree nation. “Though they might not understand the importance and meaning behind many of our dances, at least they can see the magic and learn our stories.”

Though Smith came from Oregon to visit her family, she said she made sure to plan her trip around the pow wow.

“If I can make it, I’ll always spend at least a day here,” she said. “My family has a lot of Native American roots, so it’s really nice to be able to see our traditions being upheld.”

The two-day celebration featured performances by dancers and drummers, including some that were open to all who would like to join, along with numerous displays of arts and crafts and traditional Native American food and drinks.

When 11-year-old Aztec dancer Whitney Perez finished her performance, she didn’t stop dancing. Instead, she continued to jump along to the beat, laughing as she went.

“I think I did a good job,” she said, smiling broadly. “I just hope I made my mom proud.”

Perez said she’s been dancing since before she can remember and hopes to continue in the same fashion.

“I just love it so much,” she added. “Dressing up and dancing are two of my favorite things. Then there’s the stories we get to tell with our dances — it’s like I’m an actress starring in my own movie.”

In fact, Perez isn’t very far off the mark.

“We were the original people of this land and though a lot of our history is not written, our stories are told through song and dance,” said John Lenox, or Little Wahya, of the Cherokee nation. “Every tribe has their own origin, but we all belong to this land. This is our way of celebrating that and our traditions.”

Dan Watson/The Signal (Above) Chuck Cadotte dressed in Traditional Northern regalia dances at the 26th annual Hart of the West Pow Wow and Craft Fair, held at William S.Hart Park in Newhall on Saturday.

(Below) SunJay Owen listens to a variety of handmade hand drums at one of the booths at the 26th annual Hart of the West Pow Wow and Craft Fair.

Dan Watson/The Signal (Above) Three generations dressed in traditional Northern regalia, from left, Mario Sanchez, his 6-yearold grandson, Mark Jr., and Mark Sanchez dance during the intertribal dance at the 26th annual Hart of the West Pow Wow and Craft Fair, which was held at William S.Hart Park in Newhall on Saturday. (Below, left) Walter Sifontes, left, and John Velasquez prepare to dance at the event. (Below, right) Anthony Najera, 6, prepares his Northern Grass regalia for the grand entrance dance at the annual event.