To Anthony Silva, the Spring Planting Moon pow-wow in Marshfield is not just a time for local Native Americans to commune and celebrate. It is also an opportunity to teach the public that Native peoples are more than their perpetuated stereotypes.
“People have inaccurate information from our history books and movies and television, which has portrayed Native Americans in a totally inaccurate way,” said Silva, a member of the board of directors for the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness. “This is an opportunity for people to meet Native Americans and understand their culture from a Native American perspective.”
The pow-wow takes place at the Marshfield Fairgrounds, 140 Main St., on Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is a celebration of the spring planting season and will feature traditional dance, music, crafts, and food.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and members of the center, $3 for children ages 4 through 12, and free for children age 3 or below. Drugs, alcohol, coolers, and pets are prohibited. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
Traditionally, a pow-wow is a Native American celebration in which multiple tribes come together. A number of tribes will be represented in Marshfield, including those from the local Wampanoag.
This is the center’s 26th year organizing this specific pow-wow.
Music will be provided by the Eastern Sun Singers of Cape Cod and the Split Feather Singers from the Massachusetts and Vermont region. There will be local groups performing dances such as the Lady’s Fancy Shawl Dance, the Jingle Dress Dance, the Grass Dance, and the Crow Hop.
New this year is a performance by the New York-based Kalpulli Huehuetlahtolli Aztec Dance Troupe. Their traditional dances revolve around cosmic movement, nature, and animals, according to Silva.
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“A favorite dance is the round dance,” Silva said. “Everyone is invited into the circle to move around in a circle and reverse and go back to the rhythm. It brings everyone together.”
Grand Entry, a procession of dancers and color guard, will take place at 12:30 p.m. both days.
Traditional artisans will demonstrate crafts such as basket making and finger weaving. Native crafts will be on sale as well, including wampum jewelry, blankets, paintings, and dreamcatchers.
The event is fit for all ages. There will be storytelling by Jennifer Lee (Narragansett/Metis) in front of a conical wigwam and free crafts led by Kerri Helme (Mashpee Wampanoag). Helme will lead children in creating their own traditional corn husk dolls, complete with adornments of deer skin dresses and jewelry.
This pow-wow celebrates beans, corn, and squash, Native American staples referred to as the Three Sisters. They are traditionally grown together because each provides some sort of growing advantage to the others. For example, the prickly squash leaves keep animals from eating the corn or beans, and the corn offers the beans structural support.
Many of the refreshments offered at the event reflect these traditional foods. There will be Native tacos, Three Sisters rice, corn chowder, salmon cakes, fried dough, chili, hot dogs, strawberry shortcake, Strawberry Moon tea, soda, water, and coffee.
Silva hopes this event can serve as a reminder that Native American tradition is an important, vibrant part of this country’s culture.
“I think people talk about Native Americans as if they no longer exist,” he said. “We show Native Americans still do exist and we still involve ourselves in our cultural ways.”
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Ysabelle Kempe can be reached at ysabelle.kempe@globe.com.