Kilted at the Oneida Pow-Wow

[revdpatience]

Because the artist who created the beadwork for my sporran was going to be at the Pow-Wow, I promised I would go kilted so he could see it in action, so to speak.

Had a couple of funny encounters. A wampum vendor said her mom had tried to point out “a Scottish guy” across the arena but she missed me. When I came by her booth, she told me about her half-Scottish family in Canada and took a photo to send to her mom. Later that day, a Mexican-American fellow asked his buddy to take a photo with me (I must have looked authentic or something).

I also met one other kilted fellow, an Oneida artist wearing a leather contemporary kilt, and got into a conversation with another beadwork artist looking to source some Glengarry bonnets for future projects.

But the most poignant part of the Pow-Wow was the honor song on Friday evening for three children who died more than a century ago as students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. I was invited to accompany the families as a spiritual advisor on the trip to Pennsylvania to reclaim their remains with the help of the US Army Corps of Engineers and a team from the Army National Military Cemeteries.

To the powerful drumbeats of the honor song, our whole group was led around the arena by the head dancers and followed by members of the Oneida community in a show of support.



The funeral service for the three young women was held yesterday at my church and they were laid to rest — for the last time, we hope — among their own people at home.

A rich and rewarding weekend for so many different reasons.