Your Views for September 24

Powwow clarification

I’m writing in response to an article in the Sept. 15 Island Beat insert of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald about the Hawaii Island All Nations Powwow, on behalf of those of us who began the original Hilo Intertribal Powwow.

Liz and Troy DeRoche initiated their powwow in 2006, traditionally as a way to honor veterans on Memorial Day weekend. The event took place at Wailoa State Park where it hosted as many as 20,000 spectators and participants, and included visitors from across the U.S. and Canada.

The DeRoches spent numerous hours building a community of supporters and providing a forum to share the Native American culture with Hawaii Island residents and visitors. Their efforts also included securing grant funds from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and other donors, as well as an eventual in-kind partnership with Connections Public Charter School in its endeavor to promote recognition of the value of diversity and cultural pride for all people. The event generated significant revenue for Hilo during the course of the next eight years.

The first Hawaii Island All Nations Powwow in September 2013 overlapped years with the last Hilo Intertribal Powwow in May 2013. The original event has not been held since.

I want to clarify that Rudy and Jadeen Webster did not “take over the All Nations Powwow.” The Websters, with the benefit of the community and infrastructure that already was established, began and modified their own event with significant philosophical differences from the original Hilo Intertribal Powwow.

The coordinators of the original powwow chose not to host an additional event to avoid creating confusion or potentially dividing the community. The culture deserves that respect. The coordinators of the original Hilo Intertribal Powwow are not affiliated with the Websters or with their event.

Heather McDaniel

Hilo Intertribal Powwow