Powwow experience dispels myths

"They've ground corn, now they're making arrowheads," Naperville Girl Scout leader Laurel Holden explained to another Scout mom over her cell phone. And all that work before noon.

Those were just two of the experiences available Saturday to the members of Girl Scout Troop 821 and others at the 13th annual Harvest Pow Wow at Naper Settlement in Naperville.

Holden said the powwow is a perfect start to the troop's project to learn about the history of Illinois.

Through "The Art of Flintknapping," in which indigenous rocks are used to finely hone stone chips, Serena Knight, 9, of Midlothian, got a hands on sense of the history of another culture she'd like to know more about.

For now, Serena said, the words "Native Americans" make her think of, "A long time ago."

Children like Serena and their families are the groups that Joseph "Standing Bear" Schranz wants to reach with a different message.

"Native people are not just about history, and the past. We are here today," said Schranz, president of the Midwest SOARRING Foundation, which sponsors the two-day event which continues noon to 5 p.m. today.

While setting a powwow a few blocks from downtown Naperville creates a stark contrast, Schranz said holding the event in an urban location can be a huge asset.

"Just because we don't have a reservation in the state doesn't mean we don't want to share our culture," said Schranz. "We still have about 80,000 Native people in the state who should have a place where they can be proud to celebrate their culture."

It's a culture whose diversity still shocks some people, said Willis "Big Buffalo" Bartee, a foundation member from the far south suburbs, wearing a Choctow Pride hat.

"When you see someone black like me at a powwow, who may look like you, it makes you go back and look at your own background," Bartee said.

That was the case with North Central College junior Brandon Bandy, at his first powwow with classmate Carlos Robles.

"It is surprising. I thought I would see tan complexions," said Bandy, who is black, and now is motivated to check into his grandmother's longstanding claims of being part Cherokee.

Bandy said, "This makes me more interested in learning about that history."