Alyssa’s Adventures in the Mitten
by Alyssa Locke
NATIVE AMERICAN PRIDE This month’s adventure took me to Hopkins, Michigan for the Gun Lake Tribe’s annual Sweetwater Pow Wow. I hadn’t been to one in many years and was super-excited to see all the costumes and culture. I am Native American myself; Chippewa Indian, to be exact. I am very proud of my heritage. When I was younger, I remember dancing in them for fun, but not this time. It was 93 degrees and very humid. Some dancers looked a little warm in their fur, feather, and animal skin costumes. I was thankful to be a spectator under a shaded roof. It was amazing and colorful and very powerful. There is a lot of meaning that goes into the production of a pow wow. Each part of it represents something different: the people of all ages of the tribe, the United States Armed Forces and Canada, and our great State of Michigan. The songs sang and played were close to the hearts of the tribe members and some were passed down for many generations. I was happy to see attendees of all ethnicities in the crowd showing their respect. The vendors had amazing hand-crafted items. These things take many weeks or months to produce and are rare finds. Those of you who know me know I have trouble not purchasing something that catches my eye! Especially things that represent my heritage. I don’t get the opportunity very often to find them. I bought a few things. A couple items were from a fur seller. I’ve always wanted a fox tail. On the way home, we stopped to Gun Lake Casino in hopes to recoup the money I spent but I was unlucky that day. I left with my fox tail between my legs, so to speak—haha. There’s always next time, right? I hope you are all enjoying your summer. sponsored by Until next time....ride on, readers!
www.THUNDERROADSMICHIGAN.COM
AUGUST 2018 THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MICHIGAN 29
