Pow Wows I Have Known

       Many years ago my family traveled to San Miguel to meet as a  family.  We are Chumash Mission Indians  from Sant Rita California.  My uncles, aunts, and cousins gathered together in what is now known as a pow wow. It was a time of joy, feasting, and reflection of our native culture.  The spiritual aspect of the pow wow prevailed at our gathering.   It was not commercially oriented as some of the money making ventures, masquarading as pow wows nowadays.  People who are not even Indian in heritage now come to make money at some of the pow wows Ive been to lately.     I attended a pow wow last april in Pasadena that reminded me of my roots.  People were not hard up for money but were interested in their culture.  People were actuallly giving things away food, cds, trinkets.  Yes there were vendors, but it was a national meeting of native americans who were christian, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.   The christan flag and the jewish flag were carried with pride at this event.   I saw people I havent seen in a while, and I made new friends.   I am going to a pow wow today but Im afraid it might disappoint me.   In April there will be another Christian Native American pow wow held at the William Carey University in Pasadena.  I am looking forward to this event with anticipation.   Hope to see you there if you share the same enthusiasm for the native american culture; or if you just want to eat some good fry bread.  See you real soon.