By By Janet Little Cooper
The 36th Annual Pow Wow held at the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Reservation Thanksgiving Day and Friday proved to be a day filled with entertainment, history and heritage for the more than 2,500 people that gathered for the two-day festival.
"Things are really going well Thanksgiving Day," PCI Tribal Chairman Buford Rolin said. "We are excited about the crowd and think that it has just turned out to be a fantastic day. It really makes me feel good that we can continue to have this Pow Wow each year. It shows our community's pride and we are happy to have everyone here."
Visitors to the two-day event were able to browse and shop the merchandise provided at the many vendor booths that encompassed the fenced in area. The food booths were also a hit with the crowds serving food items from fried corn on the cob to a complete Thanksgiving dinner.
Finding a way to be entertained throughout the event was not a problem as the day was filled with numerous dance routines from visiting Indian tribes and the dance competitions that were held as well.
The opening ceremony held Thanksgiving Day at noon on the Mound drew a large crowd to watch the competition for the 2006 Indian Princess Contest.
Heather White was crowned senior princess, while Brooke Bell was named first alternate. Taylor Wiggins was awarded the crown for junior princess with Deidre Smith as first alternate and Hannah Gibson was crowned as elementary princess with Dariane Guy winning first alternate. (Pictures and more information about the Indian Princess Contest will be in the Wednesday edition of The Atmore Advance.)
Billy Smith,Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal member, summed the day during his speech in the opening ceremonies.
"It is a beautiful day in Poarch, ," Smith said. "We are very interested in our culture and heritage is what happens."