Odenong Powwow

03/12/2024

As a final goodbye to the space that has supported Native and Indigenous Students at UMass Amherst for over 30 years, please join the JWECC in a Nikkomo celebration; it is celebrated by many NE Woodland tribes. It is the first winter moon and is a time of giving what the Creator made possible through the harvest.

RSVP is through the QR Code or through our Campus Pulse page.

Any and all who have found support or a sense of home at JWECC are welcome to attend in this farewell event.

This will be a potluck, so please consider bringing food and drinks. Some will be provided by the center.

03/12/2024

To any Native, 1st Nations, & Indigenous vendors, would you be interested in participating in an art/craft market in early March 2025? It would be a one-day event in Western MA.

02/12/2024

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow and we really appreciate any support we can get. It's been a long road but we've just about made it to our 5th anniversary!! The Odenong Powwow is primarily community-funded with some funding coming directly out of the founder's pocket and we want to continue to see the powwow grow as we do our best to raise the visibility of the diverse population of Native American, First Nations, & Indigenous people in this part of New England.

To donate you can scan the QR code below, visit the Odenong Powwow website at www.OdenongPowwow.org and click the "Donate" button, or go directly to www.GiveButter.com/OdenongPowwow where you can even choose to make recurring donations! Please share this with your networks and we look forward to seeing you all in May!!!!

24/11/2024

Come and join JWECC in our last film screening for Native Heritage Month. We will be putting on the 2022 Sci-Fi/Action movie, PREY
PREY is about a skilled Comanche warrior protects her tribe from a highly evolved alien predator that hunts humans for sport, fighting against wilderness, dangerous colonisers and this mysterious creature to keep her people safe. The co-producer, Jhane Myers, who is Blackfeet and Comanche, assured its representation of native culture was accurate.
Popcorn, snacks, and drinks will be provided!

19/11/2024

Hey folks! Please donate if you can! You can use the QR code in the picture below, or donate using this link - https://givebutter.com/odenongpowwow

14/11/2024

Hi everyone! We have an opportunity to get a portion of a grant from Florence Savings Bank through votes from community members who use Florence Savings Bank. All we need is 50 votes to be eligible. Please use the link below and vote for Odenong Powwow!

Florence Bank is donating to a Western MA non-profit in our Customers' Choice Community Grants Program, and you pick who receive it. Place your vote today.

21/10/2024

The first round of Native nations graffiti t-shirts are now available in the shop at www.JBDVArt.com. Prints, coffee mugs, other t-shirts, and hoodies are also available.

Digital Fine Art by Justin Beatty including Native American oriented art, Abstracts, Landscapes, Animals and much more. Framed pieces and prints available!

20/10/2024

Shirts, and possibly hoodies, with these designs will be available on www.jbdvart.com this coming week. More designs to be added soon.

17/10/2024

13/10/2024

Mode: Chillin'
Building: Hotel
Location: Cambridge
Purpose: Emceeing Cambridge's first Indigenous People's Day

Going to rest up and take it easy so I can be up early tomorrow.

If you're in the area, come by 65 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA tomorrow for a fun-filled day of singing, dancing, performances, vendors, food, and more!

05/10/2024

Good morning everyone! We are proud to announce our new website www.OdenongPowwow.org! The site is still in its early stages, but will be updated over the coming days, weeks, and months with information, pics, and more! If you have a moment, please check it out and spread the word!

The Odenong Powwow started in 2020, on the virtual platform Social Distance Powwow. This was a way to showcase the talents of Native people in the Northeast and to connect with our communities during lockdown. 

29/09/2024

They fed us well at the 26th Annual Harvard Powwow today. Enjoyed myself singing with my Iron River Singers fam. I've stepped back from so many things but I still need the healing and good medicine that comes with certain cultural practices so I make sure time for them because it's my current favorite form of self-care.

26/09/2024

Today, I'm going to spend some time singing powwow songs to send medicine and healing to people who are going through it right now. I'm not that good of a powwow singer, but I do my best to sing with intention & good thoughts in my mind and heart.

I will pray that the Creator gives healing and comfort to those who need it, no matter who they are.

I will pray that the Creator opens our eyes to being better to each other and gives us the tools, means, and desire to be better to each other, treating each other with kindness, patience, support, compassion, honesty, and love.

I will pray that the Creator gives us the strength to work through the difficult times & to walk the path that is laid for each of us.

I will pray that the Creator accepts my thanks, my gratitude, & my appreciation for all the blessings in my life whether in the past, present, or future.

I am no one special. I am not better than anyone nor am I below anyone, but I am one of the Creator's children. And that is a blessing. It is one that I try to respect and honor with my behavior and words as often as I can.

Today, I will honor my blessings by sharing songs and prayers for people. To many people, it may be a small and insignificant gesture, some may even see it as useless, but it is what is in my heart to do today so I think it is what the Creator wants me do. So, I will do it.

Kitche miigwetch Kitche Manitou kina geygo miizhwhyaang. Gidaa-pi-naazhikain dibishkoo awe bezhig giniijaanis. Nizhaagwiiwii miinawa nindagaashiinyiw-ninoodese ginibwaakaawin miinawa gizoongiziwin. Ganawenim niwiyi ayaawaaganag gakina go indinawemaaganag ayaakozijig kitche-aya' aawijig miinawa go gegoo ezhi-gagwaadagitoojig. Kitche miigwetch gii widookwoshin omaa.

Many thanks, Great Spirit for all you have bestowed upon me. I come to you as one of your many children. I am weak and I am small and I need your wisdom and your strength. Take care of my family, all my relatives, who are sick & old, and those who suffer from anything. Many thanks for helping here.

13/09/2024

Good afternoon everyone! We hope you're all in good spirits and enjoy thing as much as you can. We are beginning the early stages of our fundraising campaign for the 5th Annial Odenong Powwow, currently scheduled for May 24 & 25, 2025.

The Odenong Powwow is possible because of the community in more ways than we can count. One of the major ways has been through individual donations from you and other members of the communities here in the Northeast. That being the case, we would like to hear from folks who are interested in donating to the 5th Annual Odenong Powwow so that we can figure out the best ways to make your experience as easy as possible. As the powwow has grown, we've come to understand some folks prefer to give in different ways.

If you or anyone you know would like more information about donating to the powwow for the coming year, please send an email to [email protected].

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09/09/2024

So now that I've had a chance to sleep and started to reflect on my weekend emceeing the Aquinnah Wampanoags Annual Powwow I want to take a moment to say kitchen miigwetch/great big thank you to so many people. This is by no means an exhaustive list of people I want to thank but the ones I can think of an remember in this moment.
First of all kitche miigwetch Kitche Manitou, Creator, Great Spirit for allowing me to live this life, creating a path for me to walk, and allowing me the opportunities to be with the people.

Thank you also to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah for allowing me the honor and privilege of acting as the emcee for your powwow again and trusting me with the responsibility of representing your people for such a wonderful public event.

Thanks and love to the following people Bettina Washington, Nefititi Jette, Ryan Malonson, Jonathan Perry, Leah Hopkins-Perry, Thunder/Charlotte/Hunter James Perry, James Moreis, Thomas Fantasia, Hiawatha J Brown, Patrick Brooks, Ashliegh Cristine Brooks, Cherrie Welburn, Ron Welburn, Camille Madison, Herring Creek (Canonchet Stocking, Manny Roderick, Leroy Araujo), Iron River Singers, John Quimby, Phyllip Thomas, Durwood Vanderhoop & Black Brook, David Weeden, Trish Keliinui, Attaquin Weeden-Machado, MWT Councilman Brian Moskwetah Weeden, Keturah Peters, & the Weeden Family, Linda Coombs, John Jim Peters Jr. , Asa Peters, Mother Bear Anita Peters & the Peters family, Sly Fox Den, Darlene Flores, Mar Abinakaniru, Tiffany Amber Vanderhoop, Faith Vanderhoop & the Vanderhoop family, all the flag bearers, veterans, dancers, vendors, powwow staff, spectators, and everyone else! I will be adding more people to this list, but like I said in one of my previous posts, if you think you should be included in this list and you don't see your name, you're still included!!!

Thank you all!!!!

09/09/2024

Made it home safely from emceeing another absolutely wonderful Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah Annual Powwow. It's now 2:30 AM, we got home around 1 AM and had to unpack the car, then I had to set up all my medical equipment, & start getting ready for bed. And even though I am yet again physically exhausted, I feel spiritually renewed, mentally exhilarated, emotionally inspired, culturally connected, and completely loved by the Creator. There are so many people to thank, but it is late and I need to get some rest. So tomorrow I will try to remember everyone I need to thank and thank them here (even though I tried to thank as many as possible in person), but if I miss anyone and you think you should have been included, then you are included too!!!

06/09/2024

I miss having a local powwow drum group and practice. Those were good times, mostly. I'm glad I still get to sing with other groups though, because powwow singing makes me feel good. It feels good to provide songs for the community. It feels good to sit with my drum family and share stories, laughs, experiences, love, and so much more. It feels good to be with those grandfathers and share medicine. So even though I miss having the opportunity to have folks here to sing with I still feel supremely blessed that I get to experience it in other ways.

Kitche miigwetch Mishomis Dewegun miinawa gakina gaa-nagamowaad.
Many thanks to you Grandfather Drum & all the singers.

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