By Glenn Rolfe

MILTON — The Nanticoke Indian Tribe’s heritage and culture will be showcased Sept. 7-8 with the 46th annual Powwow, a two-day spectacle that has an educational component.

“That is a huge part of the whole event. That is our point, to educate the public on our culture and our heritage,” said Nanticoke Tribe Chief Avery “Leaving Tracks” Johnson. “There are a lot of people that don’t know our history that are from other areas of the country. When they come here, they are on vacation, and they don’t even know that we exist.”

“So, it is a big educational opportunity for people of all ages.”

Native American crafts and food vendors will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days of the powwow.

Admission fees are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 11-17 and free to children 10 and under.

The Nanticoke Tribe recently announced two Native American performers will be participating in the upcoming celebration at Hudson Fields.

Louis Campbell, whose Native American heritage is Lumbee/Blackfoot, will serve as the head male dancer, teaming with the Nanticoke Tribe’s Mike Harmon.

“He is very well known throughout the country and has performed at the largest powwow in the country, the Gathering of the Nations,” Chief Johnson said.

Angela Gladu, from the Cree heritage, will showcase her professional hip hop hoop and jingle dress dancing styles. The dancing performance will also feature Adrienne Harmon of the Nanticoke Tribe.

The host drums for the powwow are Red Blanket of New Jersey and Stoney Creek from North Carolina.

The opening ceremony Sept. 7 includes presentation of flags, grand entry and first dance session and will begin at noon. The second dance session is at 4:30 p.m.

Noteworthy for Saturday at 1 p.m. will be a Sept. 11 tribute beginning with a native flute performance followed by the Delaware State Police Pipers and Drummers.

Sept. 8 will begin with worship service at 8:30 a.m., with grand entry at noon and dance and flute performances throughout the day.

“It is a beautiful event. It is a beautiful opportunity, and there are two days of it,” said Chief Johnson, noting for some dances, the public is allowed to join in. “And we always salute veterans during grand entry. We welcome all the veterans into the circle during grand entry.”

Organizers are hoping for a cooler 2024 event.

“Last year, we had the heat. Unfortunately, we had all that heat leading up to it, so attendance wasn’t near the typical attendance that we get on our Saturday. It was a little disappointing but understandable,” Chief Johnson said.

Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs.

For more information, call the Nanticoke Indian Center at 302-945-3400 or the Nanticoke Indian Museum at 302-945-7022; e-mail info@nanticokeindians.org or visit the Nanticoke Indian Tribe on Facebook.

Hudson Fields is at 30045 Eagle Crest Road, Milton.

Tribal history

For more than 14,000 years, the Nanticoke Indian Tribe has had a presence in the Delmarva Peninsula region, with its home base mainly in the Millsboro area.

For many years, a remote site near Oak Orchard was the staging ground for the tribe’s annual powwow. In 2021, the venue moved to Hudson Fields near Milton.