The Trail of Tears Commission is inviting the community to their 37th annual Trail of Tears Pow Wow on September 7 and 8 where Native American culture and history will be on full display.
The pow wow has been a Hopkinsville tradition since the 1980s and is held at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park. Kristina Scott from the Commission and the Trail of Tears Heritage Center says the pow wow is a chance for people to dive into Hopkinsville’s Native American history.
Hopkinsville is along the Trail of Tears, a trail that Native Americans traveled in the 1800s to Oklahoma after being forcibly displaced from the deep south. Scott says Hopkinsville is a notable spot along the trail because it is the burial location of two Cherokee Native Americas who were among the displaced, Chief White Path and Fly Smith.
In the four days leading up to the pow wow, Scott says they will be hosting school days for students in the region. Students will get to learn about the Trail of Tears and see exposition performances by some of the pow wow dancers.
Pow wow gates open on September 7 at 10 a.m. and Grand Entry is set for 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. where attendees will have a chance to see the tribes and their regalia. Following the entry, the performances will get underway and Scott says there will be dancers of all ages.
From 10 a.m. to noon on the first day of the pow wow, Scott says they will have a sensory period where the drums and the singing will be a little bit softer and those who are sensitive to loud sounds.
Along with performances, the pow wow will include food and merchandise vendors. Scott says there will be vendors selling fly bread, Indian tacos, buffalo burgers as well as local food vendors.
During the pow wow, the Heritage Center will have arts and crafts and face painting for the kid. Scott also says community nonprofits are invited to set up booths.
The pow wow concludes on September 8, and Scott says there will be another Grand Entry at 1 p.m., competitions will finish up and there will be an awards ceremony.
Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for those ages 7 to 12 and is free for kids age 6 and under. More information about the pow wow is available at trailoftearshopkinsville.org.
Photo and flyer courtesy of the Trail of Tears Commission