INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — For the 18th year, the Thunder on the Beach annual Native American Powwow is drawing large crowds to the Indian River County Fairgrounds to partake in the rhythmic drumming, melodic singing and flute playing, and, of course, the various dances all under the 4-H pavilion.
While some may have attended for the atmosphere and entertainment, others, such as Jim Vocke, came to remember a piece of his heritage. Vocke has ancestors from the Kiowa tribe of the Great Plains.
“It helps to connect,” he said of attending the annual powwow, which he and his wife, Denise, make a point of going to year after year. “It’s something you feel.”
The couple came to the event with Denise’s mom, Vera Mura, who said she has been fascinated by Native Americans her entire life.
“I always stick up for them over the cowboys,” Mura said, referring to TV shows of old that pit Native Americans against cowboys.
For Ron Colombe, the master of ceremonies for the annual powwow, the event serves as a way to reach out to non-Native Americans and educate them on their way of life.
“It’s a reminder to people that there are Native Americans,” Colombe said, explaining that the way they are represented on TV and in movies is that they are gone – no longer around.
“We want to keep our culture out there,” he said.
Approximately 20 nations are represented in this year’s powwow, with members of tribes traveling from around the country, according to Colombe. Some traveled from as far away as Alaska.
“It’s a way to celebrate our culture and is a place for us to gather,” he said.
Organizers expect to draw several thousand people to fairgrounds before the event draws to a close at 6 p.m.
Sometime Sunday, they expect to present a check to the headline performer JJ Kent to be given to his uncle, Looks for Buffalo (also known as Floyd Hand), who is working to improve the conditions of an impoverished community of 40,000 people where 12 children died due to hypothermia last winter.
“We hope it will be sufficient,” said Jody Swiss, president of the powwow.
The event serves as a fundraiser for Native American charities as well as the Salvation Army, according to Event Chair Dona Chesser.
The Thunder on the Beach Powwow continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a Grand Entry of the Native American Nations at 1 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children. Children under 6 get in free. Parking is free.
Along with the Native American dances and music, there are more than 30 vendors selling Native American goods ranging from jewelry and feathered hair clips to handcrafted goat milk soap and dream catchers, among numerous other wares.
Outside the pavilion, visitors can explore Grey Squirrel Lodge’s Primitive Camps and Demonstrations and listen to Native American tales, learn to beat the drums, and how to fire a bow. Also at the event, visitors can watch a gator show or have their photo taken with a live gator, or learn about local birds of prey.
