Native American Social Dance and Stomp Dance
The Nolumbeka Project presents a Native American Social Dance and Stomp Dance, Saturday, February 1, (snow date 2/2), 1-4 p.m., Greenfield Community College, Cohn Dining Room, 1 College Drive, Greenfield, MA. All welcome. A rare opportunity to learn and participate in Northeastern Woodlands Native social dances, led by Annawon Weeden, Mashpee Wampanoag, Congressional award honoree as culture-bearer for the Northeast and James Moreis, Aquinnah Wampanoag, father and culture bearer. Opening words by Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan, Elnu Abenaki. All ages. The single file call and response dances will be taught and are fun and easy to learn. Bring rattles and shake out the cabin fever! Snow date? www.nolumbekaproject.org Free, donations appreciated.
Social dances are done for fun, for socializing, and to express the joy of having been given the gift of life. It is made up of easy to learn steps, done by people of all genders and ages, in order to create a sense of friendship and community.
Annawon Weeden is an enrolled member of his mother's Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community located on Cape Cod. He currently works in the MPTN Cultural Resource Dept. as the Eastern Woodland song/dance instructor for his father's Mashantucket Pequot Tribal community located on their reservation in southeastern CT. Growing up on the Narragansett reservation in south coastal RI, Annawon was instructed on the traditional dances and customs of New England Natives throughout his entire life. As an adult, traveling abroad visiting many other tribes across the U.S. Annawon has developed a comprehensive understanding of the vast diversity among many Native customs.
James Moreis, Aquinnah Wampanoag, is a singer and dancer. He has worked over the years as an artisan for the Native American Program at Plimouth Plantation. He also worked as a contractor with other museums such as the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.
The Social Dance is the kick-off for “River Stories 2020: Recovering Indigenous Voices of the Connecticut River Valley”, a year-long series organized by the Nolumbeka Project featuring Indigenous presenters telling their own stories in their own words. For hundreds of years the true history of the Northeastern tribes was hidden or mis-represented and the mainstream population is missing huge pieces of knowledge. This series will coincide with Plymouth 400 commemorating the landing of the Mayflower in 1620. We hope to bring many of their visitors to this region. We believe it is important that the public is aware of how the entire Indigenous population of this continent, including the tribes who lived along the Kwenitegok (Abenaki spelling provided by Jesse Bruchac) for 12,000 years, were impacted by colonialization.
This program is sponsored by the Nolumbeka Project, Greenfield Community College, Greenfield Savings Bank, Red Roof Plus and grants from the Greenfield and Shelburne Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency
Date and Time
Saturday Feb 1, 2020
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST