5th Annual ROCK, RATTLE and DRUM POWWOW
And SPIRIT ON THE MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL

Healing Winds is excited to present the 5th Annual Rock, Rattle & Drum Pow Wow and Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival, Saturday August 14th and Sunday August 15th at Gardner’s Field, 600 beautiful acres in Stephentown, New York. The purpose of our pow wow is to honor and recognize the original people of this land by celebrating American Indian tradition, heritage, music, dance, community, friends and family. By participating in this pow wow we are all contributing to keeping the rich, spiritual Native American culture alive! Our theme this year is Honoring the Seventh Generation, Respect the Family – Celebrate the Children.   Our pow wow is a family friendly, multi-generational, alcohol and drug free event.

Pow wows are gatherings that Native American people use as a place to meet, dance, sing, renew and strengthen their culture. There will be American Indian singers, dancers, drummers and storytellers representing various tribes, styles and categories.  In addition, there will be traditional and contemporary native arts and crafts vendors, a children’s Indian tipi village and activities, storytellers, petting zoo and a delicious variety of food vendors including buffalo chili and Mary Blackmountain’s famous Indian tacos.

Headlining the musical festival this year will be Grammy Award and 11 time Native American Music Award winning artist and Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy, Joanne Shenandoah. Joanne has fulfilled the promise of her Native American name, Tekaliwah-kwa, (She Sings) .  " She's become one of the most acclaimed Native American recording artists of her time." Associated Press. Since emerging as an artist in 1990, she has performed at such high-profile concert halls as Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center and the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in South Africa. Shenandoah has collaborated and or performed with Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Bruce Cockburn, Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge and scores of other renowned musicians. We are honored to have her join us for our 5th Annual pow wow and music festival. Joanne is performing both Saturday and Sunday.

Back by popular demand will be Grammy award winner flute player and singer Joseph FireCrow, exhibition dancers the Aztec Dancers, the Wolf Cry Singers, an all women’s traditional hand drum singing group and the Berkshires favorite, Jerry “Thundercloud” and Jeannie McDonald  performing their world renowned Eagle Dance. A popular inter-tribal dance opportunity occurs throughout the pow wow, as members of the audience are invited and encouraged to join dancers in the pow wow arena. Moses Starr Jr., Southern Cheyenne from Weatherford, Oklahoma is our Co-MC. Moses is a lifelong MC and singer at pow wows throughout the southern plains and the southwest region of the United States. Our Co-MC Sandy Rhodes served honorably in the United States Air Force, was born and raised in northern California and moved to Oklahoma in 1970 to be closer to Indians and the powwows that occur there.  He is a straight dancer and teaches Boy Scouts proper Indian Lore through the Order of the Arrow. Donna Eagle Staff of Eagle Butte, South Dakota is our head lady dancer. George Emerson Lee of White Ruins Arizona, Navajo Nation is our head man dancer.

Rock, Rattle & Drum’s special guest of honor and Co-MC is Golden Globe winner actress and singer Irene Bedard. Irene (Inupiat/Cree) is best known for her film roles including 'Smoke Signals' and 'Lakota Woman' and as the likeness and voice of Disney's 'Pocahontas'. She has won over 15 best actress and best supporting actress awards. Irene and her husband indie musician MP3 Grammy winner Deni will perform on the main stage as part of the Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival. Their original contemporary music with traditional Native and American roots finds its sound in the marriage of two cultures with a message of love for the human nation, with no exclusions. In 2007 Irene and Deni launched Dream Potential, a youth mentoring and leadership program through the use of the performing and media arts.

Native Americans feel all generations are connected and believe we must think of the effects of decisions made today on the Seventh Generation regarding such matters as preservation of the environment. To this end we are including a green and alternative energy component featuring workshops, speakers and green vendors.  This is the first year we are using a solar-powered sound system provided by one of our sponsors, SunDog Solar. Jim Merkel, the author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth and director of the Global Living Project will offer workshops and speaking on the main stage.

We must provide our children with the knowledge and skills to permit them to surpass our own achievements and create a stronger, more united community. We must provide them greater opportunity. It was the Iroquois who taught that in every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next 7 seven generations. Let's give our children a world to look forward to!

Please join us to honor and celebrate the richness of the American Indian culture and strengthen and expand the ties to our indigenous roots and local community in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, the Berkshires and beyond.

Rock, Rattle & Drum is produced by Healing Winds in association with the Williams College Multicultural Center. For more information please go to healingwinds.net, call 518-733-9227 or 518-733-9227 or email humanityinconcert@earthlink.net. Healing Winds is a not for profit organization whose mission is to establish Native American cultural and educational programming that honors wisdom traditions and spiritual technologies promoting community wellness and family harmony.

 The Rock, Rattle & Drum Powwow and Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival schedule:

Saturday, August 14
10:00  Gates Open
10:30  Storytelling
11:00  Native American Flute
11:30  Wolf Cry Singers
12:00  Jim Merkel – Key Note Speaker
12:30  Jerry “Thundercloud” McDonald and Jeannie McDonald, Eagle Dance
1:00    Grand Entry Pow Wow – Intertribal Dancing
3:00    Wolf Cry Singers
3:30    Irene Bedard and Deni Wilson
4:00    Pow Wow – Intertribal Dancing
5:30    Retire Colors
6:00    Irene Bedard and Deni Wilson
6:30    Joseph FireCrow
7:00    Joanne Shenandoah

Sunday, August 15
10:00:  Gates Open
11:00:  Storytelling
11:30:  Wolf Cry Singers
12:00:  Joseph FireCrow – Native American Flute
12:30:  Jerry “Thundercloud” McDonald and Jeannie McDonald, Eagle Dance\
1:00:    Grand Entry
             Pow Wow – Intertribal Dancing
3:00:    The Good Road Blessing for Health & Harmony for Families and Children
3:00:    Irene Bedard and Deni Wilson Perform During the Blessing Ceremony
3:30:    Joanne Shenandoah
4:00:    Pow Wow – Intertribal Dancing
5:30:    Retire Colors
             Joseph FireCrow – Native American Flute

Ticket prices for the family friendly event:
Pow wow and Music Festival:
Children under 10 are free

Youth 11-17:  $5
Seniors: $5
Adults: $7
Camping is available for $25 a site
Free parking

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