Pow Wow

Ever since I first saw a Pow Wow at St. Elizabeth's in Rockville, MD about 22 years ago, I've always found them of great interest. My latest was the October 10-11 - 1ST ANNUAL FREDERICK TRADITIONAL POWWOW at the Frederick Fairgrounds in Frederick, Maryland.

What always moves me is in the opening ceremonies when the MC invites all vets from WWI Afghanistan and Iraq to dance and be honored in the center dance as the audience is invited to applaud as all warriors who guarantee our freedom are honored and respected. Were that our larger society honored these men and women the same way.

(Self-interest note: Forty-five years ago, when my brother Bob asked my mother, Phyllis Mary Watson Sweeney Curley, about our ancestry, she gave the usual Irish, English, German, Pennsylvania Dutch and Scots that we all knew...but added that we had Indian blood in us. We all laughed and Bob asked her how this was possible. She responded, "Look at your nose!" and walked away. She never spoke of it again.

My mother always told the truth and I know many Americans kept their Indian blood quiet for obvious reasons. It could be a myth, it could be true. Who knows. I do know I have always had the utmost respect for American Indians, including Evil Knievel's cousin whom I knew when I worked at the Solar Energy Research Institute in Golden, CO in 1979.)

According to Gathering of Nations, the program for this event included: "The Grand entry was at noon and featured Native American dancers from the Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Sioux, Chickahominy, Lumbee, Iroquois, Navajo, Coharie and others.Also shown were flute playing, tipi display, craft demonstrations, face painting & pony rides for children. The public will be able to purchase some of the finest Native American crafts available including turquoise jewelry, moccasins, rugs, beadwork, flutes, drums, books. Lots of great Native food including Buffalo stew, frybread, Buffalo burgers, Indian corn soup. MC: Keith Colston, Host Drum: The Creek Crew, Head Dancers : Ray & Brenda Silva. This powwow is sponsored by Pow Wow, a Native American owned & operated organizations, whose purpose is to educate the public about American Indians, past & present, through the arts."

Enjoy the videos below as they contain snippets of that education.

Scarecrow Family Problem Solving

I was a volunteer at the 2009 Mt. Airy Fall Festival with St. Michael the Archangel Church handing out materials to make scarecrows. It was a blast.

Mostly, it was families who paid the $5 to get twine (for suspenders), nylons (the head), a shirt and jeans, safety pins (keeping the parts together) and instructions. It was great to watch each family attack the task differently. Each learned problem solving skills and how to get along.

Other things were going on as well, as you can see in the photos below.

I had my picture taken with the mayor and his wife took the picture. That's whats great aabout a small town. A Frank Sinatra singer was there, too (see the video, below).

I love Fall Festivals, Country Fairs, Spring Flings, whatever gets families together for fun, creativity, and the skills that create this great American civilization.

Great Frederick Fair Business

Yes...the Great Frederick Fair is also about business. Money. Trade. Exchange.

My most intriguing find was two energy products: a pressurized wood brick fuel heating blocks (Merit Builders, Inc., James. L. Badger, 9330 Appolds Road, Rocky Ridge, MD 21778, jim@meritbuilders) and a thin film solar strip for horse barns that can be used anywhere (P.H. Drayer Co Inc., Buildings Barns Fencing, Jefferson Maryland 21755, 301 473 4466

http://www.phdrayerco.com/

The John Deer Company, as represented by the Gladhill dealership, has a large presence at the Great Frederick Fair (see photos below). Check out this badboy shown below.

Great Frederick Fair Networking

State and country fairs, like the Great Frederick Fair, have a strong networking component. Here are some examles presented at the 2009 fair.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/

http://www.mde.state.md.us/

http://www.co.frederick.md.us/index.aspx?NID=194

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/watersheds/surf/proj/wras.html

http://www.watershed-alliance.com/

http://www.nps.gov/cato/index.htm

http://www.heartofthecivilwar.org/

http://www.cunninghamgambrill.org/

Great Frederick Fair 4-H

The Great Frederick Fair 2009 is always a wonder of the agricultural bounty of Frederick County, MD, and much more. This post will focus on agrictultural bounty. The next post will focus on networking and the third on the business end of fair, or pure capitalist wonder.

I find such county and state fairs a harvest reminder of the farming basis of this great American experiment and my own family's farm in Perkasie, PA and my Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors as well. My wife's family ownes and operates the Ruggles Orchard in Levels, WV.

So few Americans make their living at farming these days that we are in danger of losing our identity as an agricultural nation, yet agriculture is what created and continues to create the basis of our civilization. Agricultural fairs are a great way to remember how important the abundance of God's good earth is to our past, present and future.

So much of what goes on at any ag fair is created by 4-H, which includes science, engineering and technology. See their hard work reflected in their products below.