by David Flint
Joanne Shenandoah’s Oneida name is Tekaliwah-kwa, which means in English, “She sings.” She sings, in fact, all over the world – a most fitting name for one dubbed “the most critically acclaimed Native American singer of her time” by the Associated Press. Neil Young has called her “one of the finest tributes to Native American music and culture.”
Shenandoah will be the featured performer Saturday evening, August 8, at Gardner’s Field in Stephentown at
the 4th Annual Rock, Rattle & Drum Powwow and Spirit On The Mountain Music Festival. A member of the Wolf Clan of the Oneida Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, she is the daughter of Clan Mother Maisie Shenandoah and a direct descendant of John Skenando, the Head Chief of the Oneidas and an ally of the Americans during the Revolution.
Shenandoah plays acoustic guitar and mixes pop, folk and classical elements with the music of her ancestors. The result is music of universal appeal to very diverse audiences worldwide. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House, Kennedy Center, Woodstock ’94 and has been featured at many international gatherings and festivals. She has recorded 15 albums, receiving the Grammy Award for her performance along with Rita Coolidge and Robert Mirabel on the album “Sacred Ground: A Tribute To Mother Earth.”
Festival schedule:
Friday, August 7:
5 pm – 11 pm: Music Festival and Vendors
Music Line-Up:
Joseph FireCrow
Red Hawk & the Renegade Country Band – Nashville Recording Artist Robert Red Hawk
Paul Finley
8 pm – Depth Quartet Trio
9 pm – Rev Tor Band
Saturday, August 8: 10 am – 11 pm
10 am: Gates Open for Pow Wow
10:30 am: Willow Greene, Native American Storyteller
11 am: Joseph FireCrow, Native American Flute Player
11:30 am: Eli Thomas, Native American Storyteller
12:30 pm: Jerry “Thundercloud” and Jeannie McDonald, Eagle Dance
1 pm: Pow Wow Grand Entry – Veterans Honoring, Dance Competition, Inter-Tribal
5:30 pm: Aztec Dancers
6 pm: Retire Flags and Eagle Staff
6:30 pm: Music begins
Wolf Cry Singers
Geraldine Barney
Tony Lee Thomas
Paul Finley
8:30 pm Joanne Shenandoah
Sunday, August 9
10 am – Gates Open for Pow Wow
10:15 am: Joseph FireCrow, Native American Flute Player
10:30 am: Eli Thomas, Willow Greene, Native American Storytellers
11 am: Wiping the Tears Ceremony
12:30 pm: Jerry “Thundercloud” and Jeannie McDonald, Eagle Dance
1 pm: Pow Wow Grand Entry – Veterans Honoring, Dance Competition, Inter-Tribal
5:30 pm: Competition Awards Ceremony
6 pm: Retire Flags and Eagle Staff
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.