First Posted: 2/21/2015
LIMA — The American Indian powwow that began in Lima on Saturday is “almost like a family reunion” to some.
The powwow was the sixth one hosted by the current planning committee, but probably about the 30th of its kind in the area, said Phyllis Davis-Kill, event coordinator.
It’s where “Native Americans come together and they share all their different beliefs and the dances,” said John Thompson, a member of the committee.
The event featured American Indian dancers, food and handmade products. The event was open to the public, it started on Saturday and runs through today at the UAW Hall.
Some estimate that thousands of people come each year for the event, which this year focused on “Honoring Our Native Heritage,” which is rich in the area, as several tribes passed through or lived in the region at one time, Davis-Kill said.
Teresa Starr, 57, came from Findlay with her granddaughter Hannah Hazelton, 6, to teach her about their shared heritage.
“She just found out that she is actually American Indian and we wanted her to see what it’s like first hand,” said Starr, who’s heritage is Shawnee.
Starr wants Hazelton to learn to “coexist and get along, to find the peace in nature,” she said.
She also hopes that others who come learn about American Indian values and the “importance of the way of life.”
For some, the Lima powwow is different than others they may attend during the year.
Breeze Shuster, 20, goes to powwows all over the state and said Lima’s is the only indoor one and the first one of the year for her.
“This is the one that sets off the rest of the year,” she said. “It’s an expression of our culture. … Something we can’t normally do.”
Shuster, who’s heritage is Potawatomi and Seminole, danced at the event, as her family taught her Fancy Shaw and traditional American Indian dances. She danced in what some think of as the “sacred circle” and said she hopes people who don’t know the culture leave the event having learned something.
“I really hope that they realize that we’re not just a novelty,” she said. “They think there’s so few of us … I hope they realize our culture is still living.”
She also wants people to know that American Indians are “not just the Hollywood stereotype.”
