Santa Rosa Rancheria annual Pow Wow

By Shawbong Fok This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The thump of drumming rattled the ears of hundreds of guests attending the eighth-annual PowWow at the Santa Rosa Rancheria Saturday. Ash-smelling smoke wafted in the air after dancers blessed the ground. Dancers, cloaked in outfits washed in a rainbow of colors and decked with glittering beads and swaying feathers, roamed around in circles as drummers pounded thumping sounds that reverberated the air.

The PowWow is a chance for the Native Americans to exert their cultural identity and to showcase their pride. It's a chance for gathering family and friends to mingle and bond. PowWow dances weren't always allowed. There was a time when Native Americans were repressed. They were forced to assimilate into the mainstream.

"The government wanted us to convert and become civilized," said Celeste McGurk, 18, a PowWow dancer from Sacramento and a UC Davis undergraduate majoring in Native American studies. "They wanted us to be like them."

McGurk, who is of Navajo descent, said at one time her grandmother wasn't allowed to speak her native language. Her grandmother was assimilated into mainstream culture at boarding school.


Warriors dance to the sound of drums during the Grand Entry on Saturday afternoon. Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel