Josh Bedard's father does not know how old he is. He was not given a birth certificate or Social Security Number; he technically does not exist. He only knows that he was born on a reservation of his tribe, the Nez Perce, and given the name Longstar. His son cautions, "As soon as you forget the past, you have no future."
To prevent forgetting people, their culture and their history, Native Americans from various tribes took part in the powwow sponsored by UNH this past weekend. The two teepees, the faint beat of drums and brightly dressed Native Americans dancing seemed like a celebratory scene from a few centuries ago. However, this annual powwow was not only a celebration, but an opportunity for education and awareness.
Adorned in brightly colored traditional regalia of feathers, beads and furs, Bedard joins in some of the traditional dancing around the drum players, the bells on his feet jingling with each step. When he's not dancing, he is walking around to the different vendors and starting up conversation with people attending the event.
"It doesn't matter what brings you to the powwow," he says. "Whatever brings people, once you come in, I am going to educate you."
Bedard, of Rochester, plans to study law at Dartmouth College to help his people get the rights they deserve. He is passionate about spreading the truth about his culture. "I want people to understand that our traditions are beautiful, that we don't scalp people, that we're not savages."
These issues may sound like ones of the past, but Bedard says that today, there are more struggles than ever facing Native Americans.
"People act like we're gone. The government does not recognize nearly half of our tribes," says Bedard.
Bedard's tribe lives in the Washington-Oregon area on reservations. Most are without running water and electricity, he says.
"We do not choose to live this way. We simply want our basic human rights, and they are constantly being taken away."
Bedard acknowledges the troubling past of Native Americans, but in a forgiving manner.
"Andrew Jackson taught us greed. Before him, the only things we owned were our bodies, flesh and our words. But the settlers taught us to say 'mine' instead of 'ours.' 'Me,' instead of 'we.'"
Bedard is in no way bitter about the condition of Native Americans today or about their past.
"You're not going to change the past by being mad. It helped shape us into the people we are today," he says.
Bedard thinks his people are misconceived and treated unfairly by the government, but believes attending powwows is an effective way to spread awareness and truth.
Non-Native Americans Ethan W. Miller and Megan Arrow came to the powwow because they heard the drumming. Both students at UNH, Miller and Arrow felt the powwow was a chance to learn about a culture with which few people in the area are familiar.
"We've pushed [Native Americans] into being a contemporary nomadic people, if that makes any sense," Miller comments.
The powwow trail is a nomadic group of sorts. Donna Williams, of the Seneca tribe, spends ten months out of the year traveling to powwows from Caribou, Maine, down to Florida. "You meet a lot of people on the powwow trail and you help each other out," Williams says. "We're kind of like family, and we help each other because this life is short."
Williams and her 74-year-old mother make Native American dream catchers, jewelry and some clothing. She brings her family with her on the powwow trail and has attended the UNH-hosted powwow for as long as she can remember.
This powwow is the only Native American event Gary Costa, a member of the Cherokee tribe from Sandwich, Mass., attends. For him, it is a chance to reconnect with other Native Americans and sell Native American-made moccasins and fur-covered boots.
"It keeps our culture going," Costa says.
One of the goals of the powwow was to raise awareness of Native American culture and history, says Sean McGhee, the Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA). The powwow is sponsored by UNH Parents Association, the UNH Native American Cultural Association, OMSA, and the Office of the Vice President for Student and Academic Services.
McGhee believes the powwow highlights the Native American culture.
"It's intertribal and promotes the heritage through celebration and education," he says.
Williams believes you get what you put into it. "If you're not willing to fight the stereotypes then you're just as much at fault."
Native American or not, everyone was welcomed at the powwow, and regardless of the past history, everyone can come together peacefully there. The translation of the opening welcome song captures the message of the powwow: "You people, you are good, come and dance."
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