What a day! What an event!

Linda Padget made no attempt to hide her enthusiasm for the Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama Powwow school day event Friday on the campus of Troy University.

Padget’s fourth grade class at Headland Elementary School was among the 2,000 students who participated in the powwow and “Wow!” was how the students described the event.

“We all have been in awe of all that we have seen and heard,” Padget said. “The students have been so impressed, especially with the replicas of the Indian villages and maps showing the division of the land during the relocation of the Indian tribes. The students have read about the Indian removal but these maps made it real to them.”

Padget said the students were fascinated by the different dances and the costumes and the animals.

Kelly Robinson, teacher with the Eufaula Primary School said the powwow brought Indians and their way of life into focus for her students.

“You can read about the Indians but it’s not like being at an event like this,” she said. “Once you have seen the Indians and watched them dance and heard their music, it makes them real, not just pictures in a book.”

For most of the young students, the powwow was an opportunity to know more.

Colin Fuller, Atlanta, demonstrated a South Straight dance, which was unusual in that his costume was almost void of feathers. “During the Indian removal, the United States government disallowed the use of feathers in our dance costumes because it was thought that the feathers were warlike,” he said. “The South Straight dance is still a war dance but it’s done without feathers.”

Fuller did have an eagle feather in his headband but, he said, after 1860, the government began to allow a few feathers in the costumes.

Some of the students were accompanied by their parents and grandparents who wanted to celebrate their Native American heritage with them.

Annette Nail from Eufaula shared the powwow experience with her grandson, Kaleb Palmer, Parkview Christian School.

“Kaleb’s heritage is Cherokee, Blackfoot Choctaw and Pawnee,” Nail said. “We wanted to be with him as he learns more about his heritage. We are proud of our Indian heritage and we want him to appreciate it as much as we do.”

The Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama Powwow included Native American arts and crafts and the students learned more about Indian beliefs and traditions through their artwork.

Barton Hicks and Cole Curtis, Charles Henderson Middle School, found that shopping could be fun and educational. Bill Lowe of Rockford shared information with them about Native American arts and crafts. The students were especially interested in the dream catchers, which were of various sizes.

“Dream catchers are to be hung in your bedroom where the sun will hit them,” Lowe said. “Then the dream catchers will filter out the bad dreams and allow you to keep the good dreams. Without the bad dreams, you will sleep well.”

Flintnappers Tim Mitchell and David Daugherty of Andalusia demonstrated their craft by which they make a variety of items, including hunting arrows, knives, pipes and peace pipes.

Ron Durham, who chaperoned students from Emanuel Christian School in Dothan, said the powwow was an outstanding event in that it brought history and heritage to life.

“The students are leaving wanting to know more,” he said. “The powwow peaked their interest. They learned a lot and are motivated to what to know more. It was a great event.”

The students had the opportunity to meet and visit with Martha Redbone, one of the top Native American musical artist in the world.

Redbone said music is the universal language and, through her music, she shares and celebrates the rich Native American history.

The Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama Powwow will continue today from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. with skilled artists and demonstrations throughout the day. The Grand Entry will be at noon.

Redbone will present an outreach program at the main tent at midmorning.

The powwow is being held on the Trojan Arena practice fields. The powwow is open to the public and admission is free.

The powwow is supported in part by Troy University, Troy Arts Council, Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.