THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120181
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Drum beats echoed across the lake at Mount Trashmore recently as the inaugural Veterans' Honor Powwow got underway Saturday morning.
For eight hours, hundreds of participants and thousands of the curious celebrated American Indian culture with ceremonies, rituals, ground blessing, story-telling and plain old getting together - in spirit as well as in the flesh.
Said Bobby Simpkins, a Vietnam veteran, ``I may not be a Native American in blood, but I certainly am in spirit.
``I'm here to show respect, to pay honor to those who couldn't be here to take part,'' he added. Simpkins, whose wife is part-Cherokee, served in the Army in Nui Bi Den.
Dr. Abbot Granoff, a psychiatrist, did not face the horror of Vietnam, nor is he an American Indian.
``I served in the Army in Oklahoma,'' said Granoff. ``I was there from 1972 to 1974, working as a doctor.
``I was invited here to take part and I believe in honoring the Indian way of life. Others could learn from their culture. We can learn from them, if we will. For example, their reverence for the land. Our city leaders have done a terrible job of protecting the environment. All because of greed.''
Like Simpkins and Granoff, Richard Mitchell wore American Indian apparel. The part-Mohawk veteran made another point about the difference in two cultures:
``In the American language, English, you have a name for each individual piece of clothing. Indians have only one word for clothes. Their way of looking at life doesn't stress the material side of life as much as American culture does.''
Donald Kuhns worked with Tracey Friedsam of the Parks and Recreation Department to organize the first powwow. He hopes it won't be the last.
He looked at the swirl of activity around him and smiled.
``This is a special occasion,'' said Kuhns, who served in the Army from 1978 to '82. ``The significance of the ceremony is to honor warriors, all warriors. Indians even honor their enemies in ceremonies like these. The third drum song, third dance, of each ceremony pays tribute to warriors.''
Kuhns comes from Mattaponi blood, a tribe that is indigenous to Virginia. His Mattaponi name is Brightpath.
``We want to carry on the traditions that mean so much to us,'' he said.
Granoff said that the American Indians contributed greatly to his profession, though it took him a while to discover this.
``About 40 percent of modern medicine comes from the Indian culture; aspirin, for example, comes from the Native American practice,'' he said.
Kim and Brian Moses attended the powwow. Kim teaches school and Brian is in the Navy. The Moses, who have lived in Korea and in Spain, had their two daughters in tow, showing them a tepee set up near the lake. Rian, 7, and Micia, 4, peered into the dwelling with a fascinated look.
``We believe in exposing them to different cultures,'' said Kim Moses. ``It's important for children to learn about all cultures. We can learn from each other, and we try to take our children to events like this frequently.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Bobby Simpkins, left, Gordon Briggs, Richard Mitchell and Abbot
Granoff - all military veterans - wore American Indian apparel at
the Veterans' Honor Powwow at Mount Trashmore to show respect for
the culture.
Brian and Kim Moses and their daughters, Micia, 4, and Rian, 7,
attended the powwow, a viewed a tepee set up near the lake.
by CNB