.entry-date::after {content: ” by Val Niehaus”;}

Community Healthier Living Powwow Held at Laona High School

February 15, 2017 – Full Issue On Jan. 31, 2017, the Community Coalition of Forest County, Forest County Potawatomi (FCP) and Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa held a Community Healthier Living Powwow event at Laona High School. This event was for K-12 students and was open to the public. Once the students piled into the gymnasium, Jeff Keeble, arena director for the powwow, did a bit of an introduction to the students and spoke about ways of healthy living. He then talked about his own personal history and his battle and relayed the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep off of drugs and alcohol. Emcee for the event was Robert VanZile Sr. Before starting the powwow, he offered an invocation in his language and then introduced the veterans that were present who were carrying the Eagle Staff and ags. Young Warriors drum group opened with grand entry, which was then followed with the traditional ag song and veterans song. Head dancers were Donald Keeble and Waleli Frank. Accompanying the head dancers were royalty from FCP Winters End, FCP Meno Keno Ma Ge Wen and Mole Lake TRAILS powwows and other dancers who participated. This event was an educational tool to show the students and the public the reason powwows are held. VanZile did a great job explaining the significance of certain ceremonial rituals and answered any questions the students had. He spoke of the different types of regalia each dancer was wearing. He also stressed, “This is not called a costume. A costume is something you wear during Halloween; this is either called regalia or an outfit.” VanZile also mentioned the different types of dances that are present during the powwow, such as the Crow Hop and Sneak Up. The students were asked to dance during intertribal. The younger students had a fantastic time dancing to the beat of the drum! The most popular part of the pow- wow was when Michelle Reed and her son, Hunter Reed, demonstrated a bit of hoop dancing. They even had some volunteers from the crowd learning how to move the hoop around your body. Let’s just say that Principal Jim Bradley could have been a hoop dancer in another life! Michelle said, “I promised myself that I would learn this dance, and my son Hunter took off with it right away!” He was phenomenal to watch! The younger students had many questions after watching them dance. This event was a great opportunity for the community to learn a bit more about powwows, hopefully with a more in-depth understanding behind certain happenings that take place during it. Many of the students had a great time dancing with the dancers and listening to the beat of the drum. A powwow can really be a healing tool in that it lifts your spirit to another place and makes you forget about all the turmoil you may be going through in life. It makes you laugh, smile and feel connected to one another.