The Nanticoke Indian Tribe crowdfunded $30 thousand to make up for donation cuts to this year’s powwow.
The event is scheduled for Sept. 6 and 7 at Hudson Fields in Milton, starting at 10 a.m. both days.
The tribe restarted its powwows in the 1920’s but had to pause them as the U.S. fell into the Great Depression and several wars. 49 years ago in the ‘70s, the tribe revived its powwows. They bring their tribe and 35 to 40 others together to dance, eat and celebrate traditions in Sussex County.
It takes about $80 thousand to put the event on, and several sponsors and donors cut their contributions this year. The organizers turned to GoFundMe, asking the community to help fund the event.
“We've never had to do anything like this,” Nanticoke Indian Tribe Chief Avery Johnson said. “I'm not an economist, so I can't explain to you why the economy is the way it is. But I know costs [...] went up across the board with everything, and I know there's been cutbacks for many large corporations.”
The powwow relies on sponsorships and donations. Johnson said due to changes in the government, some sponsors couldn’t give money at all, while some had to substantially reduce their donations.
Johnson said anonymous sponsors and GoFundMe contributors raised the $30 thousand to make up the difference.
“It tells us that people are very supportive once they know that you're in this dire need and you're not some organization that has been asking for handouts,” Johnson said. “You've worked very hard and very diligently for many, many years. And this was actually a shock to everyone.”
Without that money, the powwow’s food and performers could have been cut. They also might have had to relocate, something Johnson said he doesn’t even want to consider.
“We travel throughout the world, but there's no place like home,” Johnson said. “And you hear that all the time. So there's no place for us like our powwow and the area there in Millsboro and Oak Orchard where we feel the most comfortable, the safest.”
Johnson said the powwow is an opportunity to teach community members and neighbors about the Nanticoke peoples’ history and keep it alive.
The powwow features traditional dances by performers from 35 to 40 different tribes and food such as frybread and powwow pot roast.
“That's how our native community is,” Johnson said. “We're all one big community, and we go to their events, and they come to our events, and that's just respect. We respect them. They respect us… It's just our customs. That's how it's been for hundreds of years, and it'll continue to be that way.”
The entry fee is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 11 to 17 and free for those 10 and under.
