CRANDON, Wis. — (WSAU-WAOW) Native American tribes from across the badger state came together to celebrate the seasons changing, but also, each other, with tribal performers bringing centuries-old traditions to life.
Forest County Potawatomi Chairman James Crawford said, “It’s a part of our tradition, it’s a part of our culture, it’s a part of who we are, we have powwows for different reasons, sometimes they’re just community events, some times they’re like the Winter’s End Powwow where we’re celebrating a new season.”
Despite the heavy focus on moving forward, village elders also wanted to make sure that their traditions were being passed on to younger generations. Elder Louie Spaude said, “It’s important because everybody looks to see how many elders we have, and in the last few years quite a few of them have passed on, so the elders are supposed to be teaching the younger ones.”
That’s a role that Spaude says he’s happy to play, with several of his grandkids and great-grandkids in attendance. Spaude said, “Hopefully I’ll stick around long enough for them to understand that they’re a part of this. What you learn and don’t use, you lose, soon.”
The community also welcomed those who weren’t Native American to celebrate with them. Officials said that while it was a celebration of culture, it was also a celebration of unity.
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