By Henry Luzzatto

Correspondent

The Nansemond Indian Tribe’s 27th annual powwow kicked off Saturday, as Native Americans from different tribes across America met at the Mattanock Town site.

Members of various Native American tribes donned colorful traditional regalia and danced in the center circle, while spectators looked on. Vendors sold traditional Indian items including jewelry, weapons and instruments, and people toured a small replica village.

“The goal is just to share our culture with the public,” Chief Earl Bass said. “We want them to see how our ancestors lived.”

At noon, the dancers made their grand entry to the powwow, led by dancers Saharan Lewis and Jesse Bass. The grand entry was followed by a tribute to veterans, inter-tribal dances, and different categories of song and dance.

Kay Oxendine, the event’s master of ceremonies, explained the meanings of the different regalia and the reasons for the dances performed throughout the event.

Connor Tupponce, a 16-year-old member of the Chickahominy and Upper Mattaponi tribes, said he has been dancing in powwows since he could walk.

“It’s a really big part of my culture,” Tupponce said. “I’ve been from Ottawa to Atlanta doing powwows.”

Tupponce danced as part of the male traditional category, as well as playing the drum and singing as part of Thundervoice.

Leonard Harmon, a member of the Delaware Nation who traveled south from Washington, D.C., to dance in the event, said he and his family participate in powwows nearly every weekend.

“It’s in our blood to go out and dance,” Harmon said.

Bass said many dancers had come to honor the memory of Sharon Johnson, a Chickahominy dancer who died in June. Some female dancers held purple balloons and let them go during the event to celebrate Johnson’s life.

Though the dancers caught everybody’s eye, two traditional longhouses were the centerpiece of the event, Bass said. These traditional wood-frame houses were part of a small replica village that included a fire pit, a dugout canoe and bearskin rugs.

Bass said the next step for the Nansemond Tribe is to build a full replica village at the Mattanock Town site. He says plans include a traditional village “comparable to Jamestown.”

Bass said the main goal of the powwow is to share Native American culture with the public.

“A lot of people think we don’t exist,” Harmon said. “But there’s so much you can learn from our dances and our traditions.”

The powwow continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The grand entry of the dancers will be at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The powwow grounds are located at the end of Pembroke Lane.