On Saturday in Vienna, the sun shone brightly on the ball field as the rich culture, history, and traditions of Native Americans captivated families and friends with delicious food, entertaining activities, and tales of bygone times.
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Sponsored by the mid-Shore’s Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, the Native American festival attracted native guests from sister communities up and down the East Coast and as far away as Western Canada to transform the dirt infield into a powwow circle for traditional dance and cultural presentations.
Dressed in a red breechcloth and leggings, half his face painted bright green, and tribal tattoos, Drew Shupert of Wappingers Falls, New York, stood out among the many traditionally clad exhibitors and vendors at the festival. With detailed historical knowledge, he described the 17th-century animal pelts, native artifacts, and weaponry to fascinated festival goers.
“I’m proud to be Pocomoke and represent the Algonquian-speaking tribes here today,” Shupert told The Spy. “When I put on my traditional dress at festivals, share artifacts and dances, I’m honoring the history of my Native ancestors. Teaching their role in shaping this country’s early days ensures their legacy endures.”
In black feathers and an enormous headdress of an Aztec Jaguar Warrior, Danny Orsino reminded participants of the deep native traditions shared by Mexican-Americans. Manning a booth selling traditional jewelry and artifacts with his family, Orsino, of Stafford, Virginia, said he learned about the spiritual side of Native American culture as a young boy.
“Wherever I go to perform the fire dance, I really relate to the sacred aspect of the ritual,” he said. “It’s like church.”
Schirra J. Gray, of Indian Head, was the head male dancer at the festival. A member of the Piscataway Indian Nation of Maryland, Gray was taught Native culture by his parents, particularly about respecting and honoring the ancestral tribal lands. He is an accomplished musician on the cedar flute, and an artisan of indigenous crafts like beadwork and porcupine quillwork.
These days, the band consists of about 300 Nause-Waiwash, descendants of the original Nanticoke and Choptank tribes, who, along with the Pocomoke, were among the indigenous peoples of the Shore’s rivers and marshes.
They have been led for the last decade by Chief Donna “Wolf Mother” Abbott, the band’s first-ever woman leader. Saturday’s 33rd annual festival is the major fundraiser of the year. The band emphasizes education, cultural revitalization, and community service, including cemetery cleanups, donations to local schools, and support for initiatives such as the prevention of domestic violence.
“We all want to preserve our history, and tell our own story, our truth, and to educate,” Abbott said. “It’s great when we get together before the public to preserve and share our traditional way of life.”
