SEMO POWWOW A BIG ATTRACTION; MORE THAN 3,000 PASS THROUGH TURNSTILES FOR DAYLONG SEMO EVENT

Justin Nesahkluah has been dancing at Indian powwows more than 14 years.

But he learned to dance long before entering Native American dance circles.

Nesahkluah, a Kiowa-Apache, is a men's fancer dancer, who specializes in the hoop dance.

"I'm comfortable with 13 hoops," said Nesahkluah, who was in full dance regalia at the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Purchase Powwow, held Saturday at the Student Recreation Center on Southeast Missouri University campus.

Nesahkluah was just one of many participants who demonstrated a number of Native American dances during the powwow.

The 12-hour powwow -- 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. -- concentrated on Indian heritage and customs, featuring dancing, storytelling, songs by a number of Native Americans, and exhibits of Indian crafts, ranging from beads and jewelry to cloths, toys and musical instruments.

"This is a serious time for those participating in the powwow," said Nesahkluah, of Anadarko, Okla.

The purpose of a traditional powwow is not entertainment. It is a celebration, but it's also a sacred ceremony.

As many as 3,000 people attended at least portions of the daylong powwow, sponsored by the Northern Cherokee Nation and the university.

The hoop dance is always a favorite at Indian powwows.

"This dance is performed with as few as five and as many as 50 hoops," said Nesahkluah, "We used 13 here today."

The hoop dance, said Nesahkluah, indicates a reflection of Native American heritage. The hoops are used to create a variety of designs, depicting some of the earth's creatures, ranging from deer and buffalo to eagles and hummingbirds.

Although the dance appears to have a magical aura, it is not a magic trick, said Nesahkluah.

"We're all taught to live in the circle of life -- like a hoop," he said. "Everything is in circles. We even dance in circles because that's the way of life."

Nesahkluah started his dance with one hoop, and by the time it was over, he was using his arms, legs and neck to handle the 13 hoops.

Nesahkluah said he participated in more than 20 powwows a year.

"Some are one-day events similar to this," he said. "But many are two- and three-day events."

Accompanying Nesahkluah, 28, to Cape Girardeau were his wife and three children, Cnoll, 5; Collin, 9; and Lahoma, 3 months. All, except the youngest, are Indian dancers.

The powwow featured storytelling, flute playing and flintknapping, to go along with intertribal dances, including gourd, hat and shawl dances.

On hand Saturday was Chief Beverly Baker Northup, chief of the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory, headquartered at Columbia, Mo.

The powwow centers around the circle or the arena. Within the circle are drums, which consist of singers and instruments, and head people, who lead the dancing and have places of honor at the proceedings. The dancers are also in the circle.

Native Americans who participated included Henry Smallwood, Cherokee master of ceremonies; Lawrence Sampson, Cherokee-Delaware arena director; the White Buffalo Singers, Oklahoma Host Drum; Felicia Abbott, Cherokee head woman dancer; Frank Wolf, Omaha head man dancer; the Thunderheart Singers, Northern Drum; "Arrowhead Fred" Bollinger, flintknapper; Audra Dawn Sanders, Cherokee powwow princess; Nesahkluah; and an Oklahoma gourd dance group.

Also present was Dave WolfEagle, a flute-maker and flute player.

Wolfeagle was born David Charles Booher in Indiana and attended high school in Florida, before turning to his Indian heritage of Cherokee and Shawnee.

Wolfeagle and his wife, Georgia, now produce crafts and musical instruments, specializing in flute.

"Flutes are my primary interest," he said. "I like to make them, and I like to play them."

Dr. Carol Morrow, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at Southeast Missouri State University, chaired the powwow committee that helped plan the event.

The powwow has been in the planning stages for months and coincides with a university committee's recommendation that the school take steps to educate students and the public about the area's Indian culture.

The November date was chosen because November is Native American Month, Morrow said.

The university has exhibits on Indian culture on display at Kent Library during the month. Morrow said she wants to educate the public about Otahki, the Indian woman for whom the school's Otahkian women's teams are named. Princess Otahki died on the Trail of Tears in what is now Trail of Tears State Park.

Women played an important role in Cherokee society. They had status in Cherokee society equal to that of men, Morrow said. The area has a rich Indian heritage, dating back to the late, prehistoric mound culture of the Mississippian Indians.