The sacred fire was extinguished on Sunday evening, marking the end of the 34th-annual Potawatomi Trails Pow Wow at Zion’s Shiloh Park.
An estimated 4,600 people cycled through the three-day event to hear stories, take part in tribal dances, taste indigenous foods, and become immersed in a culture native to the land.
The center of the activities was a grove, within a ring of trees, considered to be one of the oldest oak savannas in the state. Seats were placed around the circle for visitors to witness firsthand the ancient drumming, chants, and intertribal dances carried by the wind and heard nearly two miles away, at the lakefront’s Geo-Karis State Park.
The name of the event is taken from the practice of bending saplings in a certain direction that would take root as a signpost. The site is significant and dates to the 1600s, for council meetings between tribes around the Great Lakes.
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“The spot for these council grounds is sacred. We are all family, and all tribes are welcome to come and share our culture; all are welcome,” said Floyd Wayne Silas Sr., the Potawatomi Trails Pow Wow Committee’s president and chairman. “The main point is that we are still here. This is a peaceful social gathering and a sharing, with only good feelings.”
David Sandy, the committee’s co-chair, said, “The ring of trees, where the arena is located, honors our forefathers who were here before. Those historic councils of Potawatomi, Oneida, Menomonee, were our version of a congressional meeting, airing our laundry out, and they would decide to make peace or war.
The event provided a way for guests to experience the Native American heritage. Both Silas and Sandy stressed that all American service veterans were welcome.
“Many Native Americans served in branches of the U.S. military honorably, yet came home with culture shock, PTSD, and no means of coping,” Sandy said. “These Pow Wows and social gatherings are an opportunity to heal and reconnect, not only for tribal members, but others in the same situation. This makes the grand entry so important.”
The grand entry into the arena was held four times over the weekend and led by an honor guard of the eagle staff bearer, followed by flagbearers for each branch of the U.S. military, attending veterans, tribal members and dancers, as well as visitors moving in a clockwise direction. The flags were placed in standards with a tobacco offering.
“The eagle staff is the original symbol of the sovereign Native American nations, and it symbolizes a return for our veterans to their roots,” said Bill Brown, founder and committee member of the Potawatomi Trials Pow Wow. “It is a healing experience.”
Part of the healing was contained in the sacred fire area, circled by cedar boughs, and open to the east. Guests were encouraged to offer prayers by sprinkling tobacco, sage, white cedar, and sweetgrass on the fire.
“The fire is the spiritual center for everything that happens here. When people come here, they are expected to do things in a good way,” said Thunder Ruthven, the firekeeper and pipe carrier for the people. “We use this fire to purify ourselves and push those negative things to the side. So, when we dance, offer prayers, it is for the people.”
“I’ve been coming to this gathering for about 20 years; it’s my favorite. I was honored to become the new treasurer,” said Cruzanne Lewis, a Choctaw-Cherokee. “Next year is our 35th year, and the committee’s goal is to make it grow.”