Days before Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall, the Marlboro Chesterfield Darlington County Pee Dee Indian tribe had already made up their minds to have their Third Annual Pow Wow as planned Saturday — no matter what blows the storm threw at the area.
And so they did.
Native Americans adorned in colorful traditional dress gathered at Smith Park in Bennettsville for the Pow Wow, which is held annually to spread knowledge about their heritage and ancient way of life.
“It’s a celebration of our heritage, we’re celebrating our music, our dance, our culture, our friends,” Pee Dee Indian Chief Tim LaBean Sr. said. “I don’t think we promote our heritage hard enough. And we need to promote it because a lot of people don’t even think indians are in North Carolina and South Carolina.”
When the first settlers arrived in North America, an eradication of the indians began, and that’s why so much history about area tribes is unknown, LaBean said.
“The Pee Dee Indian language is lost,” he said.
Even though the tribe doesn’t have its original spoken tongue, there is still much to be taught and much to learn, he said.
Professional dancers demonstrated different types of Native American dances, such as the men and women’s fancy dance and the men and women’s traditional dance.
Cherokee, N.C., resident Libby Wolfe is a women’s traditional dancer who travels to different Pow Wows to perform.
“My family has been dancing for years. It’s just a family thing,” Wolfe said. “It’s just great because I get to carry my heritage with me wherever I go.”
Four drum teams also perform at the Pow Wow, which was attended by several Indian groups, including the Cherokee Indian Eastern band, the Lumbee and the Edisto.
“It’s like being at home,” said Dorchester County resident David Creel, who is also a member of the Edisto tribe. “They’re all family.”
“I always meet new friends, and I meet old friends that I’ve met at other pow wows,” Wolfe said. “It makes you feel you’ve done something spiritual.”
David Bird of Cherokee N.C., said he believes something spiritual had been accomplished at the Pow Wow after he and others witnessed two bald eagles flying over the site.
Bird explained the eagles’ appearance meant the Pow Wow had been blessed.
“They show up when you have a gathering, and if there’s truly good medicine (or a good spirit) there, the eagles will come and bless it. If things are good and there’s a good feeling, then they’ll come out,” Bird said. “It must be a double blessing since we’ve got two of them.”
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