September 01, 2011 –
MAYETTA: Two Prairie Band Potawatomi elders will be honored this weekend at the Shawnee County Allied Tribes (SCAT) 21st annual inter-tribal pow-wow at Lake Shawnee in Topeka. Other PBPN are also listed as participating in pow-wow activities.
Andrew Mitchell will be recognized as the honored elder on Saturday and Arlene Wahwasuck will be honored on Sunday for their active involvement in the Native community through the years. Josette Wahwasuck will be head lady dancer, Chris Knoxseh, head singer for Host Northern Drum Swift Kill, and Alan Lewis is one of the arena’s directors. Activities and events begin tomorrow afternoon and will run until Sunday and include cultural sessions, food booths and arts and crafts for all ages in addition to the pow-wow. Other PBPN who are actively involved in SCAT are Roger Lewis, who is the chairperson of the pow-wow and SCAT’s vice president, and Hildred Vilander who is president of the Board.
Every Labor Day weekend for the last 20 years thousands of people have flocked to the pow-wow that is designed to showcase the beauty and culture of American Indian people. Unlike other Indian groups or societies who are bonded by political or tribal affiliation, the Shawnee County Allied Tribes is intertribal and more loosely organized.
For more information about the pow-wow go to
www.shawneecountyalliedtribes.org
and look for photos of the event this weekend at