tagged: Art, Event, Music & Night Life, Pow Wow, Press Release, Stephentown

Rock, Rattle & Drum Pow Wow

Posted by Kaitlyn in Arts & Culture, Events

Honoring the Seventh Generation

Respect the Family – Celebrate the Children

5th Annual ROCK, RATTLE and DRUM POWWOW

And SPIRIT ON THE MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL

Healingwinds.net

Saturday August 14, Sunday August 15

Rt. 22 & Rt. 43 Stephentown, New York – Gardner’s Field

600 Beautiful Acres – 20 minutes from Pittsfield

Joanne Shenandoah

Grammy Award and 11 Native American Award Winning Singer/Songwriter

” She’s become one of the most acclaimed Native American recording artists of her time.” Associated Press

Joseph FireCrow

Grammy and Native American Award Winner

Renowned Native American Flute Man

Special Guest of Honor M.C.

Golden Globe Winner Irene Bedard

Best known for her roles in many films, including “Smoke Signals” and “Lakota Woman” and as the likeness and speaking voice for the title character in Disney’s “Pocahontas

First 50 dancers in full regalia receive day pay. All dancers camp and eat main meal free, thanks!

Free camping and main meal for dancers/Day pay for first 40 adults/20 adolescents/20 children

Treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents;
it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors;
we borrow it from our Children.   -      Ancient Indian Proverb

Pow wows are gatherings that Native American people use as a place to meet, dance, sing, renew and strengthen their culture. There will be American Indian singers, dancers, drummers and storytellers representing various tribes, styles and categories.  In addition, there will be traditional and contemporary native arts and crafts vendors, a children’s Indian tipi village and activities, storytellers, petting zoo and a delicious variety of food vendors including buffalo chili and Mary Blackmountain’s famous Indian tacos.

Headlining the musical festival this year will be Grammy Award and 11 time Native American Music Award winning artist and Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy, Joanne Shenandoah. Joanne has fulfilled the promise of her Native American name, Tekaliwah-kwa, (She Sings) .  ” She’s become one of the most acclaimed Native American recording artists of her time.” Associated Press. Since emerging as an artist in 1990, she has performed at such high-profile concert halls as Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center and the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in South Africa. Shenandoah has collaborated and or performed with Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Bruce Cockburn, Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge and scores of other renowned musicians. We are honored to have her join us for our 5^th Annual pow wow and music festival. Joanne is performing both Saturday and Sunday.

Back by popular demand will be Grammy award winner flute player and singer Joseph FireCrow, exhibition dancers the Aztec Dancers, the Wolf Cry Singers, an all women’s traditional hand drum singing group and the Berkshires favorite, Jerry “Thundercloud” and Jeannie McDonald  performing their world renowned Eagle Dance. A popular inter-tribal dance opportunity occurs throughout the pow wow, as members of the audience are invited and encouraged to join dancers in the pow wow arena. Moses Starr Jr., Southern Cheyenne from Weatherford, Oklahoma is our Co-MC. Moses is a lifelong MC and singer at pow wows throughout the southern plains and the southwest region of the United States. Our Co-MC Sandy Rhodes served honorably in the United States Air Force, was born and raised in northern California and moved to Oklahoma in 1970 to be closer to Indians and the powwows that occur there.  He is a straight dancer and teaches Boy Scouts proper Indian Lore through the Order of the Arrow. Donna Eagle Staff of Eagle Butte, South Dakota is our head lady dancer. George Emerson Lee of White Ruins Arizona, Navajo Nation is our head man dancer.

Rock, Rattle & Drum’s special guest of honor and Co-MC is Golden Globe winner actress and singer Irene Bedard. Irene (Inupiat/Cree) is best known for her film roles including ‘Smoke Signals’ and ‘Lakota Woman’ and as the likeness and voice of Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’. She has won over 15 best actress and best supporting actress awards. Irene and her husband indie musician MP3 Grammy winner Deni will perform on the main stage as part of the Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival. Their original contemporary music with traditional Native and American roots finds its sound in the marriage of two cultures with a message of love for the human nation, with no exclusions. In 2007 Irene and Deni launched Dream Potential, a youth mentoring and leadership program through the use of the performing and media arts.

Native Americans feel all generations are connected and believe we must think of the effects of decisions made today on the Seventh Generation regarding such matters as preservation of the environment. To this end we are including a green and alternative energy component featuring workshops, speakers and green vendors.  This is the first year we are using a solar-powered sound system provided by one of our sponsors, SunDog Solar. Jim Merkel, the author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth and director of the Global Living Project will offer workshops and speaking on the main stage.

On Sunday at 3pm there will be a very special blessing ceremony for children and their families, single parents included called the Good Road Blessing for Health & Harmony.  The ceremony will be conducted by a traditional Navajo Medicine man James Ettsitty Jr. We must provide our children with the knowledge and skills to permit them to surpass our own achievements and create a stronger, more united community. We must provide them greater opportunity. It was the Iroquois who taught that in every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next 7 seven generations. Let’s give our children a world to look forward to!

Please join us to honor and celebrate the richness of the American Indian culture and strengthen and expand the ties to our indigenous roots and local community in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, the Berkshires and beyond.

Rock, Rattle & Drum is produced by Healing Winds in association with the Williams College Multicultural Center. For more information please go to healingwinds.net, call 413-443-2481 or 518-733-9227 or email humanityinconcert@earthlink.net. Healing Winds is a not for profit organization whose mission is to establish Native American cultural and educational programming that honors wisdom traditions and spiritual technologies promoting community wellness and family harmony.

The Rock, Rattle & Drum Powwow and Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival schedule:

Saturday, August 14: Gates for powwow open at 10AM – 9PM

Pow wow Grand Entry is at 1pm

Sunday, August 15: Gates open at 10am – 6PM

Pow wow Grand Entry at is 1pm.

Ticket prices for the family friendly event:

Pow wow and Music Festival:

Children under 10 are free

Youth 11-17:  $5

Seniors: $5

Adults: $7

Camping is available for $25 a site/Free parking