Otoe-Missouria News Archive

by Heather Sarles

For more than a century the Otoe-Missouria people have been gathering the third week of July to dance, laugh, sing, cook, eat, pray, remember and celebrate their Otoe-Missouria ways. For many tribal members, the gathering held July 15-18 calls them home to Red Rock to catch up with old friends and distant family. Encampment Committee Chairman Hank Childs says that the most important part of the four day event is the people. “I was told years ago that this encampment is the one time when the most Otoe people are located in one place,” Childs says. “It’s the time when we get together to enjoy the fellowship of each other. People plan their vacations to come home that weekend to be with family—to meet new nieces and nephews. I want to invite everyone to come home, dance and enjoy themselves.”

» Read the complete article on NativeTimes.com.

» UPDATE: See photos from the Ponca City News published July 16 and more on July 18.

The Otoe-Missouria Tribe has announced it will host the inaugural Kathage Akiwena Jiwere 5K Run on Saturday, July 17 on the traditional tribal encampment grounds. The 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) event is the brainchild of the tribe’s fitness coordinator, Donnie Childs, who created the run to tie in with both the annual encampment and the tribe’s push toward improving the health of its members.

“Many of our tribal members are obese and struggling with diabetes,” Childs says. “The encampment is the biggest gathering that the tribe hosts. There will be more Otoe people together than at any other time of the year. This run is a great way to get some of those people motivated to start moving.” Childs says that the while the event is a run, participants do not need to run the entire course. “There are people who plan to walk the entire race,” Childs says. “That’s fine with me, as long as they are moving. Getting people up off of the couch is the main goal of this race and the biggest focus for me. I want to see as many people out there as possible.”

The race begins at 8 a.m. at the 7 Clans Paradise Casino located east off of Highway 177 north of Red Rock. The race route leads through the traditional campgrounds of the Otoe-Missouria people. First place winners in the men’s and women’s category will receive a handmade hand drum. The top finishers in each category will receive awards and all participants will receive a T-shirt.

» Originally published in the Ponca City News.

» UPDATE: RESULTS posted July 17, 2010

Members of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe from all across the U.S. are gathering here for the beginning tonight of the tribe’s 128th annual Encampment since relocation from Nebraska to Oklahoma in 1881. The four-day event, free and open to the public, runs Thursday through Sunday at the tribal powwow and encampment grounds located just south of the Seven Clans Paradise Casino at 7500 Highway 177, about 14 miles south of Ponca City.

Tonight’s opening program features the crowning of Incoming tribal princess Summer Moore scheduled for 7 p.m. at the start of the evening powwow program. Tiny tots dance contestants will also be held. The Friday evening program will feature boys dance contests in Straight, Traditional/Grass and Fancy categories. Girls will compete in the Cloth, Fancy Shawl/Jingle Dress and Buckskin categories. Saturday morning will see dozens of youth with their turtles competing for fun and prizes in the N-D-Inz World Championship Turtle Races. Other fun activities include a Horseshoe Tournament on Sunday and a Basketball Tournament.

Youth games will take place each day near the tribal casino. Arts and crafts as well as food vendors will have stands around the powwow arena. Rations will be distributed to all registered campers each morning Friday through Sunday. Late Saturday and Sunday afternoons will see Gourd Dancing and traditional family giveaways. The evening powwow programs both days will feature dance competitions.

Teen dancers will compete Saturday evening, with boys contesting in Straight, Traditional/Grass and Fancy categories. Teen girls will compete in Cloth, Fancy Shawl/Jingle Dress and Buckskin categories. Adult dance competition will highlight the Sunday evening powwow with men contesting in Straight, Traditional, Grass/Chicken and Fancy categories while the women will compete in Cloth, Fancy Shawl/Jingle and Buckskin. Golden Age contests for men and women will also take place Sunday evening. Special contests scheduled include the Perry Lee Botone, Jr. Memorial 49 Contest and the Johnny Moore, Sr. Old Style Fancy Dance Contest.

Head Staff

Sharing duties as master of ceremonies for the 128th Encampment will be Jim Grant and Don Patterson. Both men possess a vast knowledge of traditional ways and of family genealogy, important assets for a large traditional event. Leading the singers around the drum will be Leonard Cozad Jr., as the head gourd dance singer, and Mike Kihega as head war dance singer. Serving as the head gourd dancer will be tribal Chairman John Shotton. At the powwow sessions Donnie Grant will serve as head man dancer along with Elsie Whitehorn as head lady dancer. Arena director duties will be handled by friends Junior Kent and Junior Murray. Water boys will be Roy Childs III and Terrance Atkins.

The outgoing 2008-09 tribal princess is Tashina Littlecook.

» Originally published in the Ponca City News.

Golfers are sought to play in a four-man scramble Monday June 22 at the Ponca City Country Club with all proceeds to benefit the Otoe-Missouria Encampment Committee as they prepare for the tribe’s annual July encampment.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start beginning at 10. There is a $500 team entry fee with lunch provided. Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, Longest Drive and Closest To Pin. The event is sponsored by the First Council Casino.

» Originally published in the Ponca City News.

An eagle plume is placed by Ted Grant into the beaded crown of Red Plume Tashina Rene Littlecook in a ceremony inducting her as the 2008-2009 Otoe-Missouria tribal princess on Thursday at the opening night of the annual tribal encampment in Red Rock which runs through Sunday. Littlecook, 17, will be a senior at Frontier High School where she is a member of the Lady Mustang basketball team and the state third-place golf team. She is the daughter of Angela R. Barnett and granddaughter of Linda Bassett Francis, Ray Barnett, Clarkson and Sue Littlecook. She will act as a goodwill ambassador for the tribe.

Originally published in the Ponca City News.

When retired OSU professors Thora and Ron duBois visited the annual Otoe-Missouria powwow on the tribal campus at Red Rock this summer, the experience brought back many memories for Ron.

Referring to himself as an “Icelander by marriage” – Thora’s parents came from Iceland, and Ron and Thora have visited there several times – Ron said the powwow reminded him of traditional Icelandic encampments in which people came from all over Iceland to set up tents, socialize and settle disputes.

Read the full article in the Stillwater NewsPress.

Elsie Rose Whitehorn was introduced as the new Otoe-Missouria Tribal Princess for 2007-2008 during ceremonies Thursday at the first day of the four-day 126th Otoe-Missouria Encampment in Red Rock. A sophomore at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, she is the 19-year-old daughter of Randall and Roselyn (Begay) Whitehorn. At NSU Elsie participates in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Native American Student Association and is a sister of the Alpha Pi Omega sorority. Her Indian name is Kee-Gwa-Au-Me (Lifts oneself up). Elsie is of the Eagle Clan on her father’s side (Otoe and Iowa) and Tl’aasch’i (Red Mountain People) from her mother’s side (Navajo). Placing the princess sash is outgoing princess Dena Reveles.

Originally published in the Ponca City News.

Native American traditions live on in this tribal community as members gather from across the country for the 126th Otoe-Missouria Encampment which begins Thursday. Sufficiently recovered from recent flooding, the tribal encampment grounds will again host hundreds of campers, dancers and visitors, continuing a long tribal tradition dating to the tribe’s first days after being relocated to Indian Territory.

The Otoe-Missouria Encampment Committee has planned four full days of activities — July 19-22. Each evening will feature a different program of dance contests, with the new tribal princess crowned Thursday. Gourd dancing and specials will take place beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Otoe Olympic Games for children will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. Other events will include turtle races, foot races, horseshoe tournament and a 5-on-5 basketball tournament.

Powwow officials include Oliver Littlecook and Michael Burgess, masters of ceremonies; John Arkeketa, head singer; Lewis Dent, head gourd dancer; Michael Plumley, head man dancer; Salina NoEar Todome, head lady singer; Michael Whitecloud and Randy Moore, arena directors; and, by invitation, Otoe War Mothers, Red Rock Creek, Kiowa Gourd Clan, Black Bear Descendants and Ponca Gourd Dance Society. Miles Hall and Wilber Enloe will be water boys.

The powwow is free and the public is invited to attend. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Food and other vendors will be available.

Originally published in the Ponca City News.

Enedena “Dena” Reveles is presented as the new Otoe-Missouria tribal princess for 2006-07 during ceremonies Thursday night at the 125th Annual Otoe-Missouria Encampment in Red Rock. The 20-year old daughter of Garland & Kathie Kent Jr., the Po-Hi graduate is currently attending Northern Oklahoma College. In addition to receiving many academic awards, Dena is a talented softball player and is the assistant manager at Taco Bueno. Shown, from left, are outgoing princess Jennifer Moses, Reveles, arena director Leroy Enloe and Osage tribal elder Fred Burrow. The public is invited to attend the powwow activities which continue through Sunday night. [photo]

Originally published in the Ponca City News.

The Otoe-Missouria Tribe’s 125th Annual Encampment begins its four day run of traditional activities this evening at the tribal powwow grounds near Red Rock.

Tonight’s program starts at 6 p.m. with the Gourd Dance, followed by powwow dancing. Ceremonies to crown the new 2006-2007 tribal princess will also be conducted. Both afternoon and evening programs are scheduled for Friday through Sunday. All activities are open to the public, but visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs. The access road to the Encampment and powwow grounds is located at the entrance to the Seven Clans Paradise Casino, about 15 miles south of Ponca City on U.S. 177.

Originally published in the Ponca City News.