LIHA’s 42nd Annual Fall Powwow kicks off Nov. 29-30 in Gonzales
The Louisiana Indian Heritage Association’s 42nd Annual Fall Powwow will be held Nov. 29-30 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA. The powwow is open to the public from 10 am to 11 pm on Saturday and from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday.
The 4-H Building provides ample available seating in bleachers for spectators. The admission fee for adults is $5 for adults. Children under 12 with paid adult, uniformed first responders, and World War II veterans are admitted free. This is an alcohol and drug free event.
A powwow is a family reunion, revival, and cultural festival celebrating Native American traditions. It is an educational event that can be experienced by families and individuals of all ages. There will be Native American music, dancing, food, and a variety of authentic crafts.
Featured celebrities at the LIHA fall powwow include featured artist Dana Tiger and actress Irene Bedard. Tiger (Creek/Seminole/Cherokee) is an internationally acclaimed artist who has been inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame for her for advocacy through art on behalf of women, children and Native Americans. The primary subject of her art is strong Native American women in both traditional and contemporary settings.Tiger is the daughter of the late Jerome Tiger (Creek/Seminole) who is acclaimed by art critics as the first Native American fine artist.
Bedard’s (Inupiat/Cree) first role was as Mary Crow Dog in the television production Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, which depictedthe 1970s standoff between police and Native Americans at Wounded Knee, SD. While many of her films are historically accurate, she is probably best known as the voice and physical model of the main character in the Disney animated film Pocahontas. In 2005 she was cast in the television mini-series Into the West, portraying the half-Lakota, half-white adult Margaret “Light Shines” Wheeler. Inspired by the birth of their son, Bedard and musician husband Deni Wilson have combined their talents forming the band - Irene & Deni. Their sound creates an unusual blend of native rock and techno beat that serves Bedard’s purposes in combining her native roots with a 21st-century sound. Irene & Deni are scheduled to perform throughout the weekend.
This event has been partially funded by a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
The LIHA-LEH symposium on the topic “The Iconology of the Pre-Columbian Eastern and Central United States and Its Influence on Art and Ceremonial Activities” is on a daily exhibition between 11am and 4pm. Humanities Scholar Fred Cureau, BS, MAT (Choctaw) displays sample artifacts from his extensive
collection, provides expert commentary, and fields questions. Once a simple granting agency distributing funds for educational projects, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities has grown and adapted to meet the increasing needs of a changing world.
A nonprofit, state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the LEH garners half of its funding from local sources. Through generous grants and technical assistance to scholars and ordinary folk across the state, as well as reading and discussion seminars at public libraries, the LEH celebrates the culture of Louisiana by helping people tell their stories every day. In addition, this program is supported in part by funds from the Louisiana State Arts Council and the Louisiana Division of the Arts and by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge through the Decentralized Arts Funding Program.
LIHA, a state chartered non-profit organization, is dedicated to the preservation and achievement of high standard Native American dancing, singing, arts, and crafts. The LIHA Powwow provides the local Native American community the opportunity to showcase their traditions. LIHAs powwows are generally accessible to people with disabilities. If you require a specific ADA accommodation, please contact Katherine Hoover 504-736-6086 by November, 2008
