Odenong Powwow

20/08/2024

Does anyone know when the grant applications start for the Mass Cultural Council/ local cultural councils? The site says the deadline is in October, but no info on when the process begins.

17/08/2024

TFW you know you're old because they ask you to judge a Golden Age Men's comp.

17/08/2024

Host drum duties with Rez Dogs at the Mohegan Wig Wam Festival on the Mohegan res in Uncasville, CT.

06/08/2024

Here is a short article about the event I emceed this weekend, the 11th Annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival. Not only did I emcee, but I had a blast jammin' out with my bros the Iron River Singers https://www.recorder.com/PocumtuckHomelandsFestival-56287204?fbclid=IwY2xjawEeR4BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVQ2WrQavYNJ9hpxbHNrQ1wuqNmLIUiJoTaFXdSXFWFp4Tn1X8ECcejfxA_aem_tn1DmfNRIbMoXlnCgTnlGQ

TURNERS FALLS — Vendors, singers and dancers blending centuries of Native American history and culture gathered Saturday in celebration of the 11th annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival. The festival takes place at Unity Park, centuries after 300 Native...

05/08/2024

I was on Springfield News 22 yesterday at the Pocumtuck Homelands Festival.

The 11th annual 'Pocumtuck Homelands Festival' was held in Turners Falls this weekend, and residents were able to celebrate Native American art, music, and m...

02/08/2024

I'm super proud and excited to announce that the chapbook I did the cover art for, has been released and is now available for sale!!!

Metis author Marsheila Rockwell approached me a few months ago about doing some art for the cover of her chapbook. We had become friends on Twitter and she had previously sent me a signed copy of the novel she wrote for Marvel, "Sisters of Sorcery". When she found a publisher for her book of poetry, she said I was at the top of her list of artists that she'd like to ask to do the cover. I was honored and agreed.

Below is the artwork I sent that was approved and the cover which is being published. The publisher's art team made some changes to fit the overall aesthetic and keep the red theme throughout, but I am happy that I had this opportunity!!! I can now say I've had my artwork on the cover of a book!!!

You can purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Quantum-Other-Hate-Crimes/dp/B0D9PG6BJF/ref=sr_1_5

14/07/2024

So I'll be singing powwow songs with my boys the RezDogs at tomorrow's Connecticut Sun vs. Phoenix Mercury WNBA game for the halftime show. The game will be televised on ABC. So blessed. Kitche miigwetch, Kitche Manitou.

12/07/2024

Hello and happy heat wave!
It's been a minute since this year's powwow, but if attended and you are interested in taking a moment to give us some feedback, it would help us as we begin planning for next year!

Thanks/Miigwech/Nia:wen!

Survey here:

We are striving to make the Odenong Powwow as positive an experience as possible for all attendees. We would appreciate any feedback you have to help us achieve that goal. Thank you for your time in completing this survey.

28/06/2024

https://www.amherstmedia.org/amherst-media-s-capital-campaign

At Amherst Media's 48th annual meeting, Executive Director Jim Lescault and Board President Vira Douangmany announced the Dr. Demetria Rougeaux Shabazz Center for Media Arts.

25/06/2024

Happy Victory Day to the Oceti Sakowin and the tribal nations who fought at Greasy Grass!!!

12/06/2024

Good morning everyone! I hope you're all doing as well as can be expected. We have been reaching out to folks who won raffle prizes but were not available when the winners were announced. We are trying to get in touch with the following people.

Ashley Winn
Finn Farrell
Lila R.
Marcello F.
Ali Caraven
Bastion Rohn
Rebecca Robbins & Owen

If your name is listed please send us a message so we can get your respective prize to you.

If you know any of the people listed above, please have them message us so we can get their prizes to them.

Thank you,
The Odeong Powwow Committee

Send a message to learn more

30/05/2024

Good afternoon everyone! We hope you're all doing well and for those who made it to the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow, we hope you had a good time!

Some raffle winners weren't present when we called their ticket numbers, so we will post their names along with the prizes they won later today.

We will also be announcing another fundraiser raffle item. A print from The Artist Oliver James from their "The Debt You Owe" collection, complete with a certificate of authenticity! So, make sure you check this page for all the information on the prizes from the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow and the special fundraiser raffle!

28/05/2024

Hi everyone. Now that the powwow is over, although there is still a lot of post-powwow work to be done, I want to let folks know I will be stepping back from doing a lot of the things I normally do over the next few months.

In April, Abbot (the company that makes my heart pump) & the FDA issued a recall on my device. There is an issue with the device which has led to several deaths and thus the recall was issued. Unfortunately, quite some time ago, I was diagnosed with this particular issue, although I am not yet exhibiting the signs that it has become problematic.

I hadn't said anything publically because I didn't want people's potential concern for me to overshadow the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow. I wanted to make sure people could enjoy it as a celebration and expression of cultures as I intended, and not feel some kind of way about it & me during the weekend.

I will be taking time to focus on my health and work toward my end goal, a heart transplant. I will still attend some events, whether as emcee, singer, or spectator but I will not attend as many as I normally might.

Knowing that so many people had a good time at the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow this past weekend fills me with inordinate amounts of gratitude, joy, happiness, and love for the community I am blessed to be part of. I am inspired to keep working on my health so that I can continue to be part of such a wonderful community of people. People of all ages, races, spiritualities, genders, socio-economic strata, levels of education, sexualities, political views, and more.

I've come a long way since June 2020, and I still have a long way to go, but I can see the path the Creator has laid before me and I will walk that path one step at a time. And for those of you who might be moved to ask what you can do for me, the real answer right now is nothing, other than all the things you've already been doing. Cherish each day, cherish your loved ones, and try to head into tomorrow leaving the world a better place than it was today.

I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

27/05/2024

Hello everyone, while there will be a longer post once we've had a chance to decompress and recover we'd like to ask any of you who took pictures at the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow this weekend to post them in the comments here or email them to [email protected]! You can post as many or as few as you like. We'd like to have the pics as a way of documenting the event. Hopefully, in the future, we'll be able to hire a photographer to help us capture photos for posterity.

26/05/2024

Hello everyone. Just a reminder for dancers. there is NO dance registration for the regular contests tomorrow, Sunday, May 26.

There will ONLY be registration for our Head Lady's special for all Jingle Dress dancers regardless of age.

Registration opens at 11 AM tomorrow.

26/05/2024

What a wonderful turnout today. Thank you all so much for your support, We'll be back tomorrow at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School for day two of the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow. Doors open to the general public at 11 AM with dancing starting at approximately Noon. We will be ending early tomorrow with dancing probably ending around 4:30 PM, so please take that into consideration when planning your visit to the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow.

25/05/2024

Is anyone who sells mocs or has access to someone who sells mocs coming to the Odenong Powwow tomorrow??

23/05/2024

Yesterday I recorded a segment on the Odenong Powwow for the New England Public Media/NPR show The Fabulous 413. It aired today, but I missed hearing it on the radio because I was running powwow errands. Hopefully, I'll be able to listen when they upload it to the NEPM or NPR websites. Man, I hope I didn't sound like a total jackbag on air LOL

A huge thank you to Monte Belmonte, Keliis Smith, and Kara Kahgee Bear for making it possible!!!!

22/05/2024

Hi everyone, here's the link to the Odenong Powwow segment from today's episode of Mass Appeal.

(Mass Appeal) – The 4th Annual Odenong Powwow is taking place this weekend celebrating Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous American cultures. It will feature music, dancing, art, f…

22/05/2024

Here at the Mass Appeal studio waiting to be interviewed

22/05/2024

*****UPDATE*****

Good morning everyone! Today, some of Odenong Powwow's committee members will do two on-air media interviews!

The first will be for the show Mass Appeal on Springfield News 22/WWLP at 11:50 this morning. So tune in if you can! After our appearance, go to their website and let them know you'd like to see more about the Odenong Powwow in the future.

Then at noon, our founder will be with Monte Belmonte to record a segment for the Fabulous 413!

So keep an eye and an ear out to see and hear more about the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow!!!

21/05/2024

***UPDATE***

Good morning everyone. This update is to let you know that the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow will be held INDOORS in the gymnasium at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School.

This being the case, while we won't require folks to wear masks, we ask everyone to PLEASE consider wearing one and to be mindful of our elders and immunocompromised community members. So please give people space when moving around in the gym, be kind, be polite, & cover your face if you have to sneeze or cough. If you aren't feeling well, we ask you to consider staying home and coming to other events instead when you are well.

While at the powwow, please try to give people space when moving around in the gym, be kind, be polite, & cover your face if you have to sneeze or cough.

Thank you.

20/05/2024

If anyone heads through downtown Amherst today can you let me know if the banner for the powwow is hanging above Pleasant Street by the Common? If anyone can take a picture of it, that would be cool too.

09/05/2024

The powwow committee would like to acknowledge and thank our major sponsors, partners, and supporters and invite you to check out their websites (where available) for more information.

Tiny Seed Project (TinySeedProject.org)
The Just Flow Fund
The Ohketeau Cultural Center (Ohketeau.org)
No Loose Braids (NoLooseBraids.com)
Five College Consortium (FiveColleges.edu)
Ron & Cheryl Welburn
Paper City Clothing Company (PaperCityClothingCompany.com)
Elizabeth James Perry (ElizabethJamesPerry.com)
The Institute for Northeast Native American Studies (UMB.edu/INENAS)
The Hampshire College Community Day of Learning and Native Crossroads Festival (Hampshire.edu)
The Josephine White Eagle Cultural Center UMass, Amherst (https://www.umass.edu/cmass/get-involved/multicultural/jwecc)

09/05/2024

Hello everyone! We are rapidly approaching the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow which will be held May 25 & 26, 2024 at the Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, rain or shine! The Odenong Powwow is free and open to the public. Vendors will be open starting at 11 AM and dancing will begin approximately at noon each day. Saturday the powwow will be open from 11 AM to 7 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM.

We have an incredible head staff again this year with Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy) returning as our Emcee. Hector Lebeau (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) returns as our Arena Director. Nakia Marion Pasaghesic (Ojibwe from Nipissing First Nations/Abenkai from Odenaak, Quebec) & Leroy Araujo (Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) are our Head Dancers. Angelina LaRotonda (Metis) will be our Head Judge. Shealani Lebeau (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) will be our Guest Veteran. Our host drum is Iron River (MA) and our guest drums will be Walking Bear (NH) & Standing Quiver (MA).

There will be dance competitions and specials all weekend including an all-ages Jingle Dress Special sponsored by our Head Lady Dancer Nakia Pasaghesic and a special sponsored by our Arena Director Hector Lebeau in honor of his daughter Shealani Lebeau, our Guest Veteran.

The dance competition prizes are as follows

Youth Eastern categories sponsored by the Ohketeau Cultural Center:
- Boys Eastern War/Woodlands ages 7-17 1st place $115, 2nd place $85, 3rd place $55
- Girls Eastern Traditional ages 7-17 1st place $115, 2nd place $85, 3rd place $55

All other youth categories
- Boys Northern Traditional/Southern Straight ages 7-17 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, 3rd place $50
- Girls Northern/Southern Traditional ages 7-17 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, 3rd place $50
-Boys Grass/Fancy Bustle/Chicken ages 7-17 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, 3rd place $50
-Girls Jingle/Fancy Shawl ages 7-17 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, 3rd place $50

Adult Categories
-Eastern War ages 18-54 1st place $450, 2nd place $350, 3rd Place $200
-Eastern Blanket ages 18-54 1st place $450, 2nd place $350, 3rd Place $200
-Men's Northern/Southern/Eastern Woodlands combined ages 18-54 1st place $350, 2nd place $250, 3rd Place $150
-Women's Northern/Southern/Eastern combined ages 18-54 1st place $350, 2nd place $250, 3rd Place $150
-Fancy Bustle ages 18-54 1st place $350, 2nd place $250, 3rd Place $150
-Fancy Shawl ages 18-54 1st place $350, 2nd place $250, 3rd Place $150
-Grass/Chicken Dance ages 18-54 1st place $350, 2nd place $250, 3rd Place $150
-Jingle Dress (separate from Specials) ages 18-54 1st place $350, 2nd place $250, 3rd Place $150

Golden Age sponsored by the Welburn Family
-Men's combined ages 55+ 1st place $225, 2nd place $175, 3rd Place $100
-Women's combined ages 55+ 1st place $225, 2nd place $175, 3rd Place $100

Prizes for specials will be announced at a later time.

We look forward to you joining us for what is sure to be a wonderful powwow this year.

09/05/2024

I will have hard copies of the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow flyer later today if anyone wants copies or is willing to give them out/post them wherever they are. Please let me know.

Also, if anyone is going up to Dartmouth Powwow this weekend and wouldn't mind taking some flyers up there and giving them out, the powwow committee and I would appreciate it as well.

29/04/2024

Hey everyone, I'm looking for 2 powwow dancers who are available for a little over an hour,1pm-2:15pm each day on Thursday & Friday this week near Boston. Paid performance for a couple of exhibitions. Inbox me for more information.

03/04/2024

The 4th Annual Odenong Powwow still hopes to receive donations to help us cover costs. Every dollar helps! There are several options to donate!

1. We can accept donations through PayPal, Venmo & CashApp.

2. You can donate to our GiveButter campaign @ GiveButter(dot)com/OdenongPowwow.

3. We can take debit/credit card donations via Stripe, in some cases.

4. We also accept checks in person or via mail (mail to: Odenong Powwow P.O. Box 441 Hadley, MA 01035 (make checks out to Tiny Seed Project and put Odenong Powwow on the memo line).

5. If you are in the Five College Area and would like to make a cash donation, we can arrange for someone from the powwow committee to meet with you to accept your donation. We will provide a receipt for your donation if needed.

Please send us a message for more information on the options!

Again, thank you for all your support and kindness!

03/04/2024

Hello everyone! Please welcome our Head Lady for the 4th Annual Odenong Powwow, Nakia Pasaghesic!!!

Nakia is a proud member of the Ojibway and Abenaki nations. Her family is from First Nation Nipissing, Ontario, and Odanak, Quebec. She grew up in upstate NY in the Capital Region and has been dancing and traveling to powwows since she was a little girl. Nakia is a women’s Jingle Dress Dancer and dances for those who need healing. She also dances in honor of her late father Ron Pasaghesic who raised her in the culture. Nakia is honored to serve as head lady dancer at the 4th annual Odenong Powwow.

In honor of her role as head lady & to honor her family, Nakia is hosting an All-Ages Jingle Dress Special on Sunday with prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place!

25/06/2022

Hello everyone! We hope this post finds you in good health and good spirits. We'd like you to take a few moments to complete this survey so that we can have a better understanding of your experience at the 2nd Annual Odenong Powwow.

Please read the instructions carefully as you can not go back to previous questions, unfortunately.

Thank you all so much for your support!!
https://s.surveyplanet.com/mz2jdaoa

Boozhoo! Hello! We, the powwow committee of the 2nd Annual Odenong Powwow, welcome you to our feedback survey. Thank you for taking time out of your day to provide us with valuable information about your experience at the 2nd Annual Odenong Powwow. Please answer the questions as honestly as you can....