Healing Winds will present the Fourth Annual Rock, Rattle and Drum Pow Wow and Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival August 7, 8 and 9 on 600 beautiful acres in Stephentown. The pow wow and music festival celebrates American Indian tradition, heritage, music, dance, community, friends and family. By participating in this pow wow we are all contributing to keeping the rich, spiritual Native American culture alive! The theme this year is ‘America – Fly Like an Eagle, Forever Free – Honoring Our Veterans, Healing Our Warriors.’ The pow wow is a family friendly, multi-generational, alcohol and drug free event.
Headlining the musical festival this year will be Grammy Award and 11 time Native American Music Award winning artist and Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy, Joanne Shenandoah. Joanne has fulfilled
the promise of her Native American name, Tekaliwah-kwa, (She Sings). Since emerging as an artist in 1990, she has performed at such high-profile concert halls as Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center and the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in South Africa. Shenandoah has collaborated and performed with scores of renowned musicians.
This year’s event is a competition pow wow. Dancers ranging in age from toddlers to elders will compete in several styles of dance: fancy, traditional, grass and jingle dress, wearing traditional and contemporary regalia. Drum groups provide vocal and rhythmic accompaniment to the dancers as they compete. Cash prizes are presented to winners in all the competitions.
In addition, there will be American Indian vendors, traditional and contemporary native arts, crafts and workshops, children’s arts and crafts demonstrations, a special American Indian Art Market, a children’s Indian tipi village, storytellers, petting zoo and a delicious variety of food vendors including buffalo chili and Mary Blackmountain’s famous Indian tacos.
Aaron Athey of the Mohegan Nation will return to be Master of Ceremonies. Bruce Curliss of the Nipmuc Tribal Nation will join Aaron as Co-MC and arena director and assist in the competition aspect of the pow wow. The Host Drum will be Rez Dogs from Penobscot, ME, and the Honor Drum will be Mystic River from Mashantucket, Pequot Nation, CT.
Back by popular demand will be exhibition dancers the Aztec Dancers, the Wolf Cry Singers, an all women’s traditional hand drum singing group and the Berkshire’s favorite, Jerry “Thundercloud” and Jeannie McDonald performing their world renowned Eagle Dance. A popular inter-tribal dance opportunity occurs throughout the pow wow, as members of the audience are invited and encouraged to join dancers in the pow wow arena.
Nashville Recording Artist Red Hawk and the Renegade Country Band, the hottest country rocking band this side of the Hudson River will open the music festival on Friday evening. Following on Friday evening will be the Depth Quartet featuring Scot Murawski of Max Creek and The Billy Kruetzman Trio. Local music favorite, just voted one of the top guitarists in the Berkshires, Rev Tor will headline Friday’s concert. One of the Berkshire’s favorites, Tony Lee Thomas will also perform on Saturday evening, as well as Geraldine Barney, a Navajo singer/songwriter extraordinaire. The latest performance schedule and lineup can be found on the web site at healingwinds.net.
‘Fly Like an Eagle, Forever Free – Honoring Our Veterans, Healing Our Warriors,’ will honor and bring awareness to people and organizations making a difference in the lives of veterans. NYS Senator Roy McDonald, a Vietnam Veteran, is one of the guests of honor, along with Jake Singer, Navajo, Director of Walk with Warrior, Danny Garcia, Director of Global Walk who has walked over 25,000 miles for peace and his wife, Jackie Garcia, Lt. Col. (Retired) Air Force, a trustee for the Global Walk Productions Charitable Trust, Colonel (Retired) James D. McDonough, Jr., Director of the NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs and William Kraus, Executive Deputy Director of the NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs.
There will also be a Wiping the Tears Ceremony for veterans and their families on Sunday morning at 11 am. Homes for Our Troops, Walk with the Warriors and The Vet Center Program are three of the organizations highlighted.
The Vet Center Program of Springfield, MA, is bringing a 39 foot Mobile Vet Center offering free medical care and psychological counseling to all veterans. The Vet Center Program welcomes home war veterans with honor by providing quality readjustment counseling in a caring manner. Vet Centers understand and appreciate Veterans’ war experiences while assisting them and their family members toward a successful post-war adjustment in or near their community.
Homes for Our Troops is an organization strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to their country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries. Homes for Our Troops assist severely injured Servicemen and women and their immediate families by raising money, building materials and professional labor and then coordinating the process of building a new home or adapting an existing home for handicapped accessibility. The finished home is then given to the veteran.
The primary purpose of Walk With the Warriors, Inc. is to make a difference in the lives of the American Indian Veterans, their worth, belief, trust and faith and to bring awareness to the public of the teachings of the Native American ancestors.
Pow wows are gatherings that Native American people use to meet, dance, sing, renew and strengthen their culture. Please join us to honor and celebrate the richness of the American Indian culture and strengthen and expand the ties to our indigenous roots and local community. For more information please visit Healing Winds at healingwinds.net, call 518-733-9227 or email humanityinconcert@earthlink.net. All proceeds after expenses go directly into the Native American Interpretative Center, the White Eagle Sanctuary and the Longhouse for Peace construction fund. Healing Winds is a not for profit organization whose mission is to establish Native American cultural and educational programming that honors wisdom traditions and spiritual technologies promoting community wellness and family harmony.
The Music Festival begins on Friday, August 7, at 5 pm. Vendors on site until 11 pm. The Pow wow starts on Saturday at 10 am. Grand Entry is at 1 pm and music begins at 6:30 pm with Joanne Shenandoah performing at 8:30. On Sunday gates open at 10 am, Grand Entry is at 1 pm and the Powwow ends at 6 pm.
Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $2 for children 6-12. After 5 pm for the Music Festival only tickets are $10 for adults and $2 for children 6-12. The Powwow and Festival is free for children under 5, seniors over 65, public safety and law enforcement personnel and all veterans. Parking is free.