Bear Mountain Pow Wow spotlighted Native American art, food and dance

Bear Mountain State Park rumbled with thousands of people last weekend during its annual pow wow, a Native American festival celebrating indigenous cultures throughout the Americas.

The festival’s host was Redhawk Native American Arts Council, a non-profit organization that supports indigenous people and educates the public about their lives and ongoing issues. The Bear Mountain Pow Wow is just one of the council’s several events throughout the year, which raise money for Native American programs such as scholarships for young artists.

“It’s always an incredible show out,” said Goduar Siafu, a vendor for Healing Nature, which sells alkaline healing herbs. Siafu and his partner have vended at numerous pow wows, and his favorite aspect of the event is “the energy of the day.”

Once they paid for admission, attendees freely roamed the giant ring of vendors selling Native American clothing, jewelry, artwork, toys, and other crafts and merchandise. For the hungry browsers, a handful of food stands provided varied cuisines, such as Iroquois and Latin. A particular highlight was arepas, a sweet corn dough with mozzarella cheese.

“It’s great, haven’t seen it since ‘19,” said Kim Lewis, an artwork vendor who’s vended at Bear Mountain Pow Wow since 1993. “It’s just a good atmosphere. I was looking forward to it.”

At the heart of the festival was an open space for several performances, attracting a large, attentive audience over the two days. People in the crowd, whether sitting in foldable chairs or standing up on picnic tables, watched and applauded the vibrant array of dancing, singing, and storytelling. The audience even got the occasional opportunity to get up and join in.

“It’s beautiful, peaceful, well-organized,” said Tiffany Kugle, a Michigan resident and first-time visitor who especially adored the pow wow’s dancing.

“I come for the dancing,” said Carmen Diaz, a Rockland resident, and a third-time visitor, noting that this pow wow was “interesting, colorful and cultural.”

Missed the event? Don’t worry. The festivities this year aren’t over just yet. Redhawk Council will be hosting Indigenous People Day between October 9 and 10 at Randall’s Island in New York City, featuring a celebration with similar activities.