Hawaiian Gardens hosts 10th Annual Pow Wow

Tribal members prepare for a ceremonial dance in the arena.

By Jerry Bernstein

The 10th Annual Robert Canada Friendship POW Wow was held Aug. 7-8 on the Fedde Middle School baseball field in memory of long time Master of Ceremonies Daniel Tom.
Tribes represented included Apache, Navaho, Cherokee, Kiowa, Piglet, Sioux and Shoshone.
Master of Ceremonies this year was Michael Reifel. Spiritual Advisor was Jim Castillo. Headman Dancer was Ben Wolf, Kiowa. Headlady Dancer was Angela Campos, Kiowa.
In the center of the ceremonial arena was a pit where a ceremonial fire was lit, which burned throughout the two-day event, inviting all who wished, to attend the POW WOW.
Surrounding the arena were tent covers, giving families and friends shade from the sun. Across from them were booths offering Native-American arts and crafts, Indian jewelry and leather goods.
Visitors enjoyed entertainment and tribal dancing throughout the two day POW WOW and a special appearance of Bill Neal accompanied by the steady beat of drums.
The tradition of the Hawaiian Gardens POW WOW was started by the city’s former and late Mayor Robert Canada, who was proud of his Native American Cherokee heritage. The first POW WOW was held in the city’s C. Robert Lee Activity Center and was a Christmas Gathering, toys were given to the children who accompanied their parents to the event.
The POW WOW has been described as an Urban POW WOW as opposed to POW Wow’s held by Native Americans who lived in the plains. There are 300 tribes living in the United States.
Following WW II, many were moved to the west coast where they mixed with other tribes and eventually became urbanized, but the POW WOW tradition carries on.
This year members of the Cerritos lst CEB Marine Battalion Adoption Committee led by Marine Veteran Sgt. Tom Tislow and members of the Committee honored a member of the Navajo Nation Lance Cpl. Alejandro J. Yazzie, 1st Marine Division Expeditionary Force killed in action Feb. 16, 2010 while engaging enemy forces in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. This is followed by a tribal dance honoring warriors who have fallen in battle for their country.