Mattaponi Indian Reservation near West Point, VA – Togetherness, that’s what is all about, right? Being together in a place where you are not judged by who you are, where you are, how you got there or where you are going sounds like pure paradise. Paradise was in hand at the 2023 Mattaponi Pow Wow.
Having missed the last couple years it was quite refreshing to return to the Mattaponi Reservation to learn a little more about the meaning behind the ceremony. I know there is still so much I do not understand and that just gives me the desire to learn more.
One thing I have always enjoyed about this pow wow was that it was not about the competition. I have attended some in the past and it was the competitive nature of the event that would bring people together. I have always loved this pow wow because no one is out to better anyone else. Whether dancer or an attendee, we are there to be with each other. The MC for the event put things into some perspective when he said that the plains tribes really defined the pow wow, the east coast tribe pow wows were more socials.
Mattaponi Pow Wow Gallery 1
Whenever I attend this event I am always amazed by the diversity. I think if you looked around you could find people from all walks of life with no judgement. No one was telling anyone else what to think other than it was ok for you to think as you wished. It was stated, this is an event that has us put our disagreements aside and bring us all together.
The respect for honor and duty is obvious from the very start, as the first thing the Mattaponi do is honor military veterans. The initial procession into the ring is led by tribal members who are currently serving in the armed forces. All veterans were also invited into the circle to be honored in the ceremony. This was a powerful moment.
The reverence for women was also obvious. I know if I try to explain I will mess it up, so I will just say the high regard was obvious as the women were always the first to enter the ring. One interesting fact I learned was how modern materials are used in the creation of several of the costumes. It was amazing to see the work and creativity that went into making them. I was very intrigued with the conical jingles on the clothing and was impressed at what was used to make them. Understanding their significance was also eye opening as they were all about healing. The women would dance a healing dance.
Mattaponi Pow Wow Gallery 2
The social element was fascinating. The Mattaponi welcomed dancers from all tribes, with the Head Lady, Olivia Garcia being from the Mattaponi and the Head Man, Quinton Talbot being from the neighboring Monacan Nation. The heads were the featured dancers. One of the most fun events of the day was when the heads led the attendees in a dance within the circle. The job of the dancers in the circle was to follow the lead of the heads. The dance took several directions, from traditional dance to a little two-step.
Finally, no pow wow would be complete without the drums. Again, this celebration of togetherness was not just about the hosts, it was about the guests. Two tribes were represented in the drummers with the host drums being Lone Eagle from Charles City, VA and the co-host drum being Warpaint from Lumberton, NC. It is the drums that ultimately bring all together. Throwing in a little rock and roll opinion, it makes sense because it is ALWAYS the drummer who keeps the act together.
To conclude, I wish to leave you with the words of my friend Sandra Skywater Custalow regarding the Mattaponi, “The People of the River” Pow Wow and to commemorate her mother, Irene – “It is always a honor to dance on sacred grounds following in the footsteps of our ancestors and to honor in a memorial of our family that have recently gone on before us. My moms name was Irene “Firestar” Hines, this is the saying that mom would tell me all the time. I don’t where she got it from. It is beautiful. This is the old quote, and it goes something like this; and I will always remember her words, ‘When we dance to the drum we pray to the Creator and attract the heartbeat of the earth. We dance for rain; we dance for healing; we dance for seasons; we dance for joy; we dance for our children; we dance for the people; we dance for courage’.”
When she read these words to me, it helped me appreciate the event that much more. As I looked at the dancers I saw the nation sharing the past with the present. Events like this you have to experience to understand. I am sure sure I made a lot of mistakes in this short piece, there is so much I do not understand and may never be able to understand. The one thing that was obvious though was this brought a lot of people together who would likely never get together otherwise. For a few hours we all came together and felt the healing power of the jingles, giving all a sense of community. A big thanks to the Mattaponi for making this happen on that warm June day!
