News
Hidden
Turtle Pow-Wow
Gray Wildlife park hosts Native Americans
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray--The divine flute music echoed from tree to tree,
drawing visitors to the lush stand of pines in the
middle of the Park. Vendor's tents ringed the arena,
with dreamcatchers, walking sticks, deerskin shirts,
and colorful blankets swinging gently in the cleansing
rain splashing gently down from the sky.
The Morris family just moved up to Standish, ME
from Florida, where they had lived for a few years.
From left to right, Walayla, mom Sharon, Dahniha,
dad Jesse and Akaia, all participated in the dancing
and ceremonies. Jesse is a Cherokee and the women
are Lakota.
Visitors perused the crafts for sale, sat quietly
among the animals and trees, enjoyed their picnics,
and waited patiently for the Grand Entry to begin.
Stephen Standing Owl was center stage playing the
Native American flute, a double flute no less, and
its notes created a hauntingly tranquil atmosphere
at the First Annual Hidden Turtle Pow Wow.
The Maine Wildlife Park was host to tribes from all
over Maine and some from New Hampshire an Massachusetts,
as the first annual Hidden Turtle PowWow commenced
at the Wildlife Park in Gray last Saturday and concluded
on Sunday.
Park Administrator Henry Hamilton welcomed the tribes
and the visitors, and explained that the PowWow was
a fundraiser. The stipulation the Park operates under
is that the Park must be self-sufficient, down to
the four employees' salaries and the vehicles, which
are rented from the State Department of Inland Fisheries.
"The take at the gate pays for all that and also
the animals' habitats. We are 100% self-sufficient.
We have only four employees but 140 volunteers who
help keep the Park going." Mr. Hamilton said
that Sunday was the busiest rainy day the Park has
seen all season, and thanked the attendees for coming.
A Pow Wow time is the Native American's time to join
together, to have fun with or compete in dancing and
singing, visiting each other and renewing friendships
or making new ones. It is also a way to perpetuate
the Native American culture and to share it with others.
Why does Native American flute sound different
from other flutes?
Stephen
Standing Owl played several tunes as the audience
waited for the Grand Entry, scheduled for noon. According
to Encyclopedia Wikipedia, "the Native American
flute is the only flute in the world constructed with
two air chambers - there is a wall inside the flute
between the top (slow) air chamber and the bottom
chamber which has the whistle and finger holes. The
top chamber also serves as a secondary resonator,
which gives the flute its distinctive sound. There
is a hole at the bottom of the "slow" air
chamber and a (generally) square hole at the top of
the playing chamber." Left, Stephen Standing
Owl performing flute music on the double flute. Stephen
said that some consider the double flute's music delightful
"while others say it is spooky. You decide,"
Stephen said, and played for those who had gathered
under the pines.
Additionally, "the 'traditional' Native American
flute was constructed using measurements based on
the body - the length of the flute would be the distance
from armpit to wrist, the length of the top air chamber
would be one fist-width, the distance from the whistle
to the first hole also a fist-width, the distance
between holes would be one thumb-width, and the distance
from the last hole to the end would generally be one
fist-width."
Long ago, the flute was considered an instrument of
courting, and the flute was played only by men. The
haunting notes were as the young man's adoration carried
on the wind to his love.
For more information about Stephen Standing Owl, go
to his website at http://www.standingowl.com.
Importance of Eagles to Native American culture
and spirituality
Above,
Marilyn the Eagle tries to fly. On her first flight
out of the nest as a youngling, this eagle landed
too near a predator and her wing was torn off. She
is now a permanent resident at the Gray Wildlife Park,
where she has opportunity to be admired by the audience
for her grandeur and, and as her handler Adam Farrington
said, Marilyn "may be thankful for her one flight
in life."
Just prior to the Grand Entry, Lawrence and Marilyn,
Park eagles came in, along with their handler, Adam
Farrington. The eagle is revered in Native American
culture. Since the eagle is the highest flying bird,
it is considered to be close to the Creator. Some
tribes believed that the eagle carried prayers directly
to the Creator. At the American Eagle Foundation website,
it is explained that "parts of eagles, including
feathers, talons, and skulls, remain important in
the ceremonial and religious practices of many Native
American tribes. In general, eagles and bears symbolized
nature's power, mystery, and majesty. Indians worshiped
or revered them across the continent."
The eagles at the Wildlife Park are undergoing rehabilitation,
though Marilyn only has one wing and will never fly
again, nor will she be released into the wild. Her
presence affords Wildlife Park employees an opportunity
to educate visitors as to the eagle's manner and habitat.
The female of the species is the more aggressive and
Marilyn's attitude was no exception. Lawrence stood
docilely while Marilyn attempted to fly from Mr. Farrington's
wrist several times. He had thick gloves covering
his hands up to his forearm, and Marilyn's beak could
tear his flesh in a heartbeat even when not trying
to be aggressive, as Mr. Farrington explained had
happened to him, and he said that he had the scar
to prove it. That was why visitors were not allowed
to come close.
Dances
The time for the Grand Entry arrived and the Dancers
slowly approached the circle. They said that they
were honored that the eagles were inside the circlewith
them. Most were were dressed in full regalia, and
they danced their way into the circle under the pines
to the drumbeats of Black Thunder and the Ancient
Ones. The drumbeats reverberated across the Park as
the rain stilled and the sun poked out from the clouds
for a short while. The first three dances were the
Opening Dance, the Flag Dance, and the Veterans Dance.
Visitors were asked to refrain from photography since
the dances were sacred, and to request permission
from the dancers individually later since several
dancers do not like to be photographed. Above,
Larry Homan, born in Gray and now living in Westbrook.
He is of the MicMac tribe.
The dancing continued, and the day softened into a
restful one with activities such as fawn feeding,
flute playing, dancing and drumming, and other activities
proceeding throughout the day under the pines at the
Wildlife Park in Gray.
all
photos: The Monument: Prata photos
For
more information, selected links online:
Dancing,
drumming, and pageantry of the Plains Indian Pow Wow:
http://www.ancientwayswest.com
Links to Native American Indians or their healing
ways.
http://www.healing-arts.org/nativelinks.htm
Smithsonian, National Museum of the American Indian
http://www.gatheringofnations.com/gonradio/index.htm
NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art
http://www.nativetech.org
A
Native American Prayer:
O'
Great Spirit Whose voice
I hear in the winds,
And Whose breath gives
life to all the world, hear
me !
I am small and
weak, I need your strength
and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty,
and make my eyes ever behold
the red purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the
things you have made and my
ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may
understand the things You
have taught my people,
Let me learn the lessons You
have hidden in every
leaf and rock,
I seek strength not to be
greater than my brother, but
to fight my greatest enemy, myself.
Make me always ready to come
to You with clean hands
and straight eyes,
So when life fades, as the
fading sunset, my spirit may
come to you without shame.
