Pow-Wow

Come to Southern Oregon and meet the elders, children, drummers, dancers, vendors, and other pow-wow regulars and hangers-on at the annual Wolf Creek pow-wow. Be there for set-up, shopping and swapping, cooling off in the river. You may even want to jump down the waterfall. You wouldn't want to miss the tribal salmon feed and potluck supper, would you? Then there's smudging and drumming around the campfire, plus late night high jinx.

Get up early for the flag-raising ceremony the next day, and dance at the afternoon pow-wow. You're invited to chili night at Pam and Rob's camp too.

What happens, though, when most of the drum groups counted on for the evening event just disappear? Who will save the pow-wow? That task falls to an unlikely group of make-do drummers rounded up at the last minute and aided by Menominee elder, Deep Water. Hurray! They pull it off!

Don't head home yet. The fun is just starting! The ceremonial pow-wow may be a serious and spiritual celebration of Native American culture, but what happens afterwards? Join sisters Sarah and Suzanne in the field under the stars for the annual family naming ceremony and walk with them on safety patrol. All sorts of things are going on out there, and what are those teenagers doing over at the river?

It may be getting very late, but the night's still young. Sit in Les's teepee as he divides up the drum money from the blanket dance and hang out for marshmallow roasting, crazy talk around the campfire, and teepee creeping.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, but first, there's tear-down, clean-up, and the raffle. But don't worry, there'll be another pow-wow soon, and until then, just keep on the Good Red Road!