Every summer, Indian steps
museum has a week-long celebration of Native American folklore and Indigenous
peoples. I was fortunate enough to go to it when I was 19, going for 3 hours in
the middle of the week. Although this wasn't near as much time as I would have
liked to be there for, it was still quite impressive to see the Native American
folklore and their practices in play.
The museum itself is located in Airville Pennsylvania, right across the Susquehanna River from Wrightsville. The museum itself was open for visitors, it contains lots of information about the Trail of Tears, different Native American tribes, what the houses look like in the local area in the forest of the Iroquois and the Cherokee Nation, some of Native Americans favorite passtimes, and tidbits about everyday life. The indigenous people of America are really quite impressive, with their develop skills being both primitive and modern and their own respective rights. They learn how to make clothing, feed themselves and their families, become self-sufficient nomadic people, create warmth and shelter, and create tools and weapons for hunting and smithing. They also had a great Mystic folklore about their spiritual side, which several local shamans covered in great detail with me.
In order to work at Indian steps, you had to be able to trace back enough Native American blood to be considered for membership in a Native American Reserve. They may traditional Native American fried bread here, chanting ancient poems and playing their drums and flutes at a rather large pow wow, and sat around and played traditional Native American games. So much Rich culture, and to think that all along, it was literally present right in my backyard.
After enjoying the music and conversations with the natives, we looked at some of the shops that were present. One shop was filled with fair trade and sustainably harvested belts, bones, skulls, first, and other things. We wanted to get a coyote pelt for my girlfriend, but the cheapest one would have broken the bank. We visited the local blacksmith next, and she reminded us that anything can be a throwing weapon and we'll stick if you throw it hard enough and with the proper technique. She demonstrated using a doll piece of wood and the target behind her. Impressed, I bought one of the shirts and she made, and then talked about all the times I had done throwing knives and hatchets in Boy Scouts.
After seeing a few jewelry stands, we decided to call it a day. A couple years later, I found out that I was not Native American whatsoever. I had spent the first 23 years of my life thinking that I was part Sue because of my father's ancestry. Genetic testing confirmed otherwise. None the less, my Affinity for Native American culture did not fade. I still have a deep respect for the indigenous people of my homeland that will only grow with time, as I long to return to the museum for another pow wow and day of remembrance alongside the locals of this land.
The museum itself is located in Airville Pennsylvania, right across the Susquehanna River from Wrightsville. The museum itself was open for visitors, it contains lots of information about the Trail of Tears, different Native American tribes, what the houses look like in the local area in the forest of the Iroquois and the Cherokee Nation, some of Native Americans favorite passtimes, and tidbits about everyday life. The indigenous people of America are really quite impressive, with their develop skills being both primitive and modern and their own respective rights. They learn how to make clothing, feed themselves and their families, become self-sufficient nomadic people, create warmth and shelter, and create tools and weapons for hunting and smithing. They also had a great Mystic folklore about their spiritual side, which several local shamans covered in great detail with me.
In order to work at Indian steps, you had to be able to trace back enough Native American blood to be considered for membership in a Native American Reserve. They may traditional Native American fried bread here, chanting ancient poems and playing their drums and flutes at a rather large pow wow, and sat around and played traditional Native American games. So much Rich culture, and to think that all along, it was literally present right in my backyard.
After enjoying the music and conversations with the natives, we looked at some of the shops that were present. One shop was filled with fair trade and sustainably harvested belts, bones, skulls, first, and other things. We wanted to get a coyote pelt for my girlfriend, but the cheapest one would have broken the bank. We visited the local blacksmith next, and she reminded us that anything can be a throwing weapon and we'll stick if you throw it hard enough and with the proper technique. She demonstrated using a doll piece of wood and the target behind her. Impressed, I bought one of the shirts and she made, and then talked about all the times I had done throwing knives and hatchets in Boy Scouts.
After seeing a few jewelry stands, we decided to call it a day. A couple years later, I found out that I was not Native American whatsoever. I had spent the first 23 years of my life thinking that I was part Sue because of my father's ancestry. Genetic testing confirmed otherwise. None the less, my Affinity for Native American culture did not fade. I still have a deep respect for the indigenous people of my homeland that will only grow with time, as I long to return to the museum for another pow wow and day of remembrance alongside the locals of this land.
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| Photo credits go to Indian Steps Museum. |
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