Bob Greenwood, a member of the Chickasaw tribe, stood at the podium at the Norman Public Library dressed in his Native American dancing regalia. Along with his traditional porcupine hair headdress, Greenwood wore one of his Purple Hearts around his neck. His dancing fan, decorated with eagle feathers, was wrapped in a miniature American flag.
“I am proud to be among you people today,” Greenwood told the crowd. “Being a combat veteran, it always touches my heart when other people step aside to honor veterans no matter what race or color.”
Greenwood, who served in the United States Marine Corps and was awarded two Purple Hearts for his service, was one of the many Native American veterans recognized at the Norman Public Library’s second annual Native American Heritage Festival Sunday.
“I felt it appropriate to come down here today in my dancing outfit because a lot of our songs are about being strong and service to our country,” Greenwood said. “I am proud of my clothes and my heritage.”
The event drew about 750 people to watch Native American dancing, and hear traditional music and story telling, along with a host of other activities, said Gary Kramer, Pioneer Library System public information officer.
Each year, Norman Public Library creates a theme to go along with the festival, which celebrates Native American arts and culture, Kramer said. This year’s theme, “Honoring America’s Warriors,” was chosen to honor veterans in conjunction with Veterans Day, which happened to fall on the day before the festival this year.
Greenwood danced in the Men’s Southern Straight style of dancing, which originated in Oklahoma. The dance is often danced by older Native Americans, and the slow shuffling steps movements tell stories about hunting or battle.
His son, Brent Greenwood, of Edmond, sang and played the drum with Rough Arrow, a Native American drum group, as his father danced.
Brent Greenwood has been drumming since about 1992, he said. “I guess you could say I got a calling for it. My father is a veteran, so I’m really here for him today.”
Brent Greenwood and several other drummers sit in a circle and beat a large drum while singing harmonized traditional Kiowa and Ponca songs. As the group performed at the library, Brent Greenwood said he could almost hear women singing the words of the songs together with the men in the group.
“It’s almost like it’s the spirit of the drum,” he said. “It’s a good feeling, it gives you peace.”
Many of the songs performed by Rough Arrow at the library were songs about war and veterans, said John Kemble. He began Rough Arrow about 20 years.
“Among our Ponca people we know a lot of soldier’s songs,” Kemble said. “Back then these songs were for the Ponca warrior, but today we use them for all veterans.”
In keeping with the Veterans Day theme of the event, the Native American Heritage Festival also featured “A Salute to Veterans and the U.S. Military” with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Color Guard.
The event featured vendors selling Native American arts and crafts. Jerry Haney, of Shawnee, was there to share his unusual wood carvings featuring busts of Native American veterans. Haney displayed four busts of American service men with Native American features. The busts, which represent each branch of the U.S. military, show Native American servicemen with their heads held high, a proud expression is etched on each wooden busts’ face.
“White men think of Indians having big noses and high foreheads, so I tried to stay away from that stereotype,” he said. “But they are all Native American veterans, “ he said.
An ex- Seminole Nation chief, Haney, served as a Green Beret, he said, and wanted to use his woodcarving skills to show the bravery of Native American veterans.
“Not a lot of things about the Native American warrior are recognized,” Haney said. “Native Americans are very much present in the armed forces,” he said.
Brianna Bailey366-3527bbailey@normantranscript.com
Local news
Honoring the warrior
• Native American veterans celebrated at library festival
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