Powwow Held to Honor Youth

More than 100 Native Americans participated in last weekend’s “Honoring Our Youth Powwow and Native American Gathering,” which included arts and crafts, storytelling, dancing and an all-day barbecue, officials said Monday.

The powwow helps Native Americans celebrate their culture and serves to educate non-Native Americans, said Gordon Hall, a Native American who attended Saturday’s event.

During the powwow, participants prayed for the health of those in their midst and did a blanket dance to raise funds for Native Americans who need health care.

“We pray while we are expressing ourselves through dance,” said Saginaw Grant, a Native American actor who attended the powwow. “We dance to prayer songs and different songs of our people.”

Grant said he and his son attend powwows throughout Southern California and dance with other Native Americans.

“It’s part of my life,” said Grant, 63, a former ironworker. “It’s the only way I can keep my life in balance. It has sometimes been difficult keeping that balance. But there are powwows every weekend throughout Southern California to help me do that.”

Proceeds from the Oxnard powwow will be used to fund scholarships for graduating high school seniors in the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium, which includes nine school districts. More than 1,200 youths from kindergarten through 12th grade participate in the consortium.