Visitors from across nation attend annual tribal gathering
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Fire-roasted corn, tribal dances and the official unveiling of this year’s group of Poarch Creek Indians princesses were among the highlights for several thousand attendees last Thursday, November 28, on the first day of the Poarch Creek tribe’s 52nd annual Thanksgiving Pow Wow.
Scattered rain showers dotted the area around the Poarch reservation, and chilly winds blew across the Pow Wow grounds prior to and for a while after the gates were opened to visitors. But the rain moved away, and the dark clouds gave way to sunshine as lines of people, some bundled against the chill, waited for tickets.
“The weather isn’t bad, not at all,” smiled Tribal Chair Stephanie Bryan, looking upward and shading her eyes as the sun began to force its way through the gray skies.
Traffic was less of a problem this year than in year’s past, as tribal police stationed along Jack Springs Road kept cars, trucks, SUVs and campers moving. Many of the vehicles carried license plates from far-away places, including Oklahoma, Mississippi, Indiana and Louisiana.
Lennie Spencer and Jack Bottello-Gomez, both of Greenville, said they have attended nine of the last 10 celebrations, with traffic snarls being the reason they missed that one.
“We had been to nine in a row; we only missed the 50th year,” Spencer said as the couple enjoyed ears of roasted corn. “We headed up here on [Interstate 65], and the traffic was so bad, it took us two-and-a-half hours to get to the parking area [a distance of less than 2 miles], so we turned around and went home.”
She explained there are two main reasons she and Jack choose to celebrate Thanksgiving at the event each year.
“You don’t have all those nasty leftovers,” said the Opp High School graduate. “And you never know who you’ll run into. I just met up with a high school classmate of mine from 40 years ago that I hadn’t seen in a while. It’s just a wonderful way to spend the holiday.”
While just about everyone in the food-vendor area went for the corn, there were also other Pow Wow and festival foods available. Lines formed as hungry attendees waited for buffalo burgers, funnel cakes, cotton candy and other delights.
As in every year, many people dressed in the feathers and other regalia of their respective tribes, adding more than a dash of color to the gathering.
The festivities began with the performance of tribal dances by a Mississippi Choctaw tribe and a multi-tribal group that included dancers of Creek, Seminole, Choctaw and other Indian heritage.
Finally, around noon, came what many in the crowd came to see, the naming of this year’s six princesses. After last year’s princesses strolled a goodbye lap around the festival grounds, the new ones, who will serve as ambassadors for the Poarch Creek tribe over the next 12 months, were crowned.
The new members of Poarch royalty (and each’s Division) in the three older groups Linda Joyce Brooks (Elder), who was escorted by her son, J.D. Brooks; Cassidy Hope Murphy (Senior Adult), daughter of Doug and Ginger Murphy, escorted by her father; Abbigail Lynn Stephens (Senior), daughter of John Stephens III and Tonia Dykes, escorted by her father.
In the younger divisions, the new princesses were Callie Beth Murphy (Junior), daughter of Doug and Ginger Murphy, escorted by her brother, Cameron; Treacy Ella McGhee-Tanner (Elementary), daughter of Paula McGhee and Brandon Tanner, escorted by her cousin, Levi McGhee; and Jenni-Lynn Angel Trevino (Little Miss), daughter of Roy and Rebecca Trevino, escorted by her father.
Sheila Rolin Odom (Elder Division) was the Spirit Award winner, while Cassidy Hope Murphy notched the Talent and Interview awards. Odom was named alternate in her division, while Kaitlyn Nicole Rispoli, daughter of Anthony and Nancy Henson Rispoli, was chosen as alternate in the Senior Adult Division, and Tayla Dane Smith, daughter of Tommy and Kelly Smith, was the alternate in the Elementary Division.
Thanksgiving Day festivities also included performances by the Medicine Tail Singers, made up of tribal drummers and singers from several tribes, including Poarch Creek, and a brief appearance by Fred L. McGhee Learning Center 4th graders. There was also a language presentation by the McGhee center’s Elder Hymn Class.
The Poarch tribe’s chief executive pointed out that the annual event, which has turned into a national “gathering of the tribes,” has grown way past its original aims.
“The Pow Wow was originally a homecoming to share our culture and history,” Bryan said. “The crowds have gotten larger and larger every year, and we’re thankful for that. It has been amazing to see it grow more and more every year.”