On Friday, May 12th, Chase and I attended the annual Stanford powwow held right on campus. From food booths to art to traditional dances, this celebration did not shy away from any aspects of Native culture. Walking in for the first time, one can expect to hear an array of drums being played in the middle of tents filled with cultural art. This beautiful music will only continue the rest of the night later being accompanied by traditional dances performed by people from the ages of 5-60. Taking a walk through all the different booths put up by people in various Native tribes around California was an illuminating experience. Chase and I started our journey looking at various forms of beaded jewelry and handmade dream catchers, decorated with symbols of wisdom and protection like bears.
At one of these booths, we had the opportunity to meet a man from a Native tribe living in the Santa Cruz mountains. Although he spoke no English, someone was able to translate all the stories he ended up telling us about the background of his art, which were hand-beaded sculptures of animals.
Chase and I both ended up purchasing hand-beaded turtles which we learned were placed on alters on the beach by their tribe to symbolize protection. The turtles were inlaid with images of suns, scorpions, and even baby turtles representing the protection of the home. This turtle is now placed on my mom's bedside table, giving her as the head of the home eternal protection and therefore emanating protection to the rest of our household. If you have the chance to attend the Stanford Powwow or any Powwow where you are, it is a must-visit. While extremely enjoyable, Chase and I will also carry the cultural wisdom and lessons we learned from the Powwow with us always.
For more information or to volunteer at next years Stanford Powwow direct yourself here! https://www.stanfordpowwow.com/
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