There were dances going on throughout most of the event this weekend. Be it for competitions, exhibition or against social issues, the circle was rarely empty.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Despite rain, Coharie’s annual event shines
There were dances going on throughout most of the event this weekend. Be it for competitions, exhibition or against social issues, the circle was rarely empty.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
This was but one young dancer of many that graced the circle during the 53rd Annual Coharie Pow Wow this weekend. One that had more of everything in all aspects of the event than ever before.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
There were dances going on throughout most of the event this weekend. Be it for competitions, exhibition or against social issues, the circle was rarely empty.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Singing and dances wasn’t all that was at the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow. The tribe collaborated with Campbell University to hold a very informative Health and Wellness Fair during the event.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Singing and dances wasn’t all that was at the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow. The tribe collaborated with Campbell University to hold a very informative Health and Wellness Fair during the event.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Singing and dances wasn’t all that was at the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow. The tribe collaborated with Campbell University to hold a very informative Health and Wellness Fair during the event.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Singing and dances wasn’t all that was at the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow. The tribe collaborated with Campbell University to hold a very informative Health and Wellness Fair during the event.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Arts and craft vendors, food vendors and attendance was at an all time high this year as the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow was the biggest yet.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
As this was the biggest Pow Wow they’ve ever had before there was more of everything and the same was true for the drummers.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Arts and craft vendors, food vendors and attendance was at an all time high this year as the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow was the biggest yet.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Arts and craft vendors, food vendors and attendance was at an all time high this year as the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow was the biggest yet.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Arts and craft vendors, food vendors and attendance was at an all time high this year as the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow was the biggest yet.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
As this was the biggest Pow Wow they’ve ever had before there was more of everything and the same was true for the drummers.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
These were a few of the adult male dancers during one of their performance at the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow. The biggest to date with double and even triple more to see than last year.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Arts and craft vendors, food vendors and attendance was at an all time high this year as the 53rd Coharie Pow Wow was the biggest yet.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
The museum was open throughout the event and attendees were able to get an in person view of the history of the Coharie people throughout time in this area.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
The museum was open throughout the event and attendees were able to get an in person view of the history of the Coharie people throughout time in this area.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
The museum was open throughout the event and attendees were able to get an in person view of the history of the Coharie people throughout time in this area.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
The museum was open throughout the event and attendees were able to get an in person view of the history of the Coharie people throughout time in this area.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
There were dances going on throughout most of the event this weekend. Be it for competitions, exhibition or against social issues, the circle was rarely empty.
Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent
Even with bad weather persisting, it was a weekend bigger than any other before it this past weekend at the Coharie Tribal Center. The community was out in full force to join with Coharie Tribe to celebrate their 53rd Annual Pow Wow.
Saying this year’s Pow Wow was the biggest they’ve ever had are not just fluffy words. It was evident by the sheer number in attendance. From dancers to drummers, as well as vendors, spectators and events, it was a massive turn out on all fronts — so much so that parking alone extended far beyond the event grounds.
To give a more vivid picture of the scale of the 53rd Pow Wow, Tribal Administrator Greg Jacobs weighed in on its success, noting that everything was either doubled or tripled from last year.
“The Pow Wow is getting bigger and better every year,” he said. “The public participation gave us an audience to deliver an education about our Native American culture. The vendors, art and crafts vendors, were double from last year. The food vendors from across the state was tripled from last year. It just keeps getting better and better yet. We had a good time this weekend, playing and praying and loving everybody that came to visit us. It was so successful Pow Wow and for that we are truly grateful.”
This year also served as an educational outlet not only on Native American culture but on the health a wellness of the community. To help spread that message the Coharie Tribe collaborated with Campbell University to hold a health fair during the event.
A wealth of knowledge of health resource was available for guest to access along with a multitude of different booths that shared an abundance of information on those topics. They even had a section for giving out massages by the students.
“All of the university system has been very good to the Coharie Tribe,” Jacobs said. “The health fair was bringing to the rural areas valuable information, educating us as to what is available and actually providing us a wonderful opportunity for rural North Carolina. It was an awesome display of health services reaching out and making their resources known and available to the entire population.”
Every aspect of the Coharie Pow Wow is growing just like their museum at the Tribal Center that’s open to the public. While not complete it continues to expand with more and more pieces of their history and Jacobs said that the Pow Wow will do much the same going forward.
“The plan going forward is that we’re having to look at now, additional parking space and more,” he said. “We’re actually looking at expanding the Pow Wow circle for the increased number of dances and the increased number of spectators. So, yeah, we will work hard through the year for more activities, better delivery of education of Native American culture and improving the grounds to make it more convenient for people. That’s the plan.”
Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook, and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.