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Chickahominy Tribe holds 70th Fall Festival & Pow-Wow
October 1, 2022
Over the past weekend, the Chickahominy tribe leader Stephen Adkins along with many other tribes hosted the 70th Fall Festival and Pow Wow.
It was hosted in Providence Forge, VA, and featured things like a parade, food and drinks, dancers, drummers and more. They host this annual festival to celebrate and inform the community.
“Being able to come together and celebrate is the best part,” said Wayne Adkins, First Assistant Chief of the Chickahominy Tribe. “Most of us have been dancing for around 50 years.”
This event has been going strong for years but has been thriving since 2018 when they gained federal recognition.
“It [federal recognition] makes us eligible for resources we never had before. As tribes we never really had any income before,” Adkins said. “We are eligible for federal programs. We have a full time staff now – that’s different. We never had a full time staff before. We started out with like four people on staff and now we are up to thirty.”
The event ended with a tribute to all tribes and veterans followed by a song and dance to honor the reason they are celebrating.
The grounds are blessed before people arrive and the circle takes on a special significance. It is very symbolic for the Tribe and for the Pow-Wow.
“Very similar to grand entry, the colors are retrieved with a special song and dance,” Adkins said.