By Oregon Coast TODAY
SILETZ — Formed from a shattered and weakened group of tribes and bands forced together onto a single, and rapidly shrinking reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have strengthened and grown from the time of their return to federally recognized tribal status in 1977.
A pow-wow is a time for celebration and the annual Nesika Illahee Pow-Wow being held Friday through Sunday, Aug. 11-13 is also celebrating a return to a full schedule of events, including the parade through the town of Siletz.
All other parts of the event will take place at the Pauline Ricks Memorial Pow-Wow Grounds on Government Hill.
“Everyone is invited to experience our pow-wow and learn about American Indian culture and dance,” said Buddy Lane, tribal cultural education manager and pow-wow coordinator. “Come join us at our annual celebration.”
The celebration will start Friday with the crowning of the 2023-2024 Siletz Royalty. Then participants dressed in all dance styles will enter the arena for the first Grand Entry, followed by preliminary rounds of competition for youth and teens.
A parade will wind through downtown Siletz on Saturday. This hometown event includes Tribal royalty, drummers, dancers, equestrian units, vintage cars and floats.
Registration is available the morning of the parade at 8 a.m. at the Tribal administration building.
The parade is followed by a Grand Entry at the pow-wow grounds. Competition dancing for youth and teens continues in the afternoon. Grand Entry continues with Golden Age and adult categories and the finals for youth and teens.
On Sunday, the Grand Entry includes a Team Dance, Women’s Basket Cap special, Round Bustle special for men and a Jackson Fancy Dance Memorial. It will end with awards for the Golden Age, adult, teen and youth category winners. Prizes range from $25 to $600.
A variety of food and native arts and crafts and jewelry will be offered for sale by more than 50 vendors on the pow-wow grounds.
“Many facets of indigenous America are represented both in craft and food,” Lane said. “There’s a lot to look at and experience, there’s something for everyone here.”
The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is the most diverse confederation of tribes and bands on a single reservation in the U.S. Their ancestors spoke 10 different languages, each of which had multiple dialects, and brought with them deep connections to more than 20 million acres of ancestral territory combined, including all of western Oregon from the summit of the Cascade mountains to the Pacific and extending into what is now Washington state and California.
The tribe’s federal recognition, as well as a good deal of their promised reservation lands, was taken away in 1956 by the Western Oregon Termination Act. After the successful lobbying of Congress to repeal the termination was successful, they became the second formerly terminated tribe to regain federal recognition.
The weekend pow-wow is an alcohol- and drug-free event. Announcers will tell attendees when they can and when they should not take photos. The announcer also will explain the significance of the events taking place in the dance arena.
A free shuttle will be available from various parking lots in Siletz to Government Hill. For more information, go to the tribe’s website.
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They could use more food vendors. I was there Saturday afternoon and the lines at every food vendor were way long. Otherwise, a great event!