Red Ribbon Week pow wow set

Osage Nation Counseling Center has planned a pow wow for Saturday, Oct. 26, as part of its National Red Ribbon Week activities, which are intended to encourage sober and violence-free lifestyles, especially among young people.

The pow wow is scheduled to begin around 1 p.m. in Wakon Iron Meeting Hall at the Indian Camp. Gourd dancing will be held and dinner is planned at 5:30 p.m. Gourd dancing will resume until 7 p.m., when a recrowning ceremony is planned for Osage Princess Dresdyn Hinman, who will then preside over the war dance part of the pow wow.

There will be contests for Tiny Tots, sponsored by Osage Nation Social Services. Dancing competitions are to be held in junior, teen and adult age divisions.

Special honoree at this year’s event is Ted Moore, who is the director of operations for the Osage Nation. The head singer will be Anthony Kemble, with Amos Littlecrow serving as head man dancer and Daisy Spicer as head lady dancer. The head little boy dancer is to be David Cote and head little girl dancer will be Christen Marie Pelayo.

Bruce Cass has been named as the master of ceremonies for the event. Arena director will be Tim Lookout and Osage Gourd Group will serve as the host gourd dance group.

Red Ribbon Week is recognized by the ONCC as well as the Osage Nation Prevention Program, Osage Nation Social Services, Osage Nation TASC and the Osage Nation Primary Residential Treatment Center. In conjunction with the event, Osage Nation representatives plan to visit area schools in an effort to spread the message about not using alcohol and drugs.

Red Ribbon Week is a national event held to annually in October to promote alcohol, tobacco and drug free life-styles, as well as to serve as a violence-prevention campaign.

Origins of the event are traced to Enrique Carmerena, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who was kidnapped by a drug cartel in 1985. While American federal agents searched for Carmerena on both sides of the Mexican border, people in his hometown hung red ribbons in his honor and, later, in his memory — as he was later found dead after having first been tortured.

Red Ribbon Week recognizes the efforts by all who work to rid the country of alcohol and drugs and this event is one of the Osage Nation’s contributions to that effort.