Hi, I'm new

[lily_of_the_valley]

Hello everybody at PowWows, my name is Lily and for years I've wanted to attend a powwow. My step father lived in Rhode Island for a while. He told me about his experiences living with a native community over there. Ever since he told me his stories, I have been interested in Native American culture, gatherings and spirituality. I am here to learn and would love to get to know native people.

So tell me about you guys. Where are most of you living? Just to let you know, I live in Sydney, Australia. No, I'm not native American but I hope that doesn't matter, does it? Are non-Native people welcome here? Are non-Native people welcome at powwows?

[Barb]

Hello Lily welcome. Non Native people are welcome if they are here to learn and show respect for the culture and the people. As for where we all live for every Province in Canada and every state in the U.S. there is probably at least one person on his site. How long have you lived in Australia I have friends in Purthe, is that how it is spelled?

[eagle feather]

hello lilly

hello lilly I am taino here from florida my people are all over the united states and the caribian island,cuba.puerto rico,etc.We where the first to encounter columbus.well lots of luck and take care.taino nation

[lily_of_the_valley]

Hello Lily welcome. Non Native people are welcome if they are here to learn and show respect for the culture and the people. As for where we all live for every Province in Canada and every state in the U.S. there is probably at least one person on his site. How long have you lived in Australia I have friends in Purthe, is that how it is spelled?

Hello Eaglefeather and Barb. It's actually spelt "Perth", and I have lived in Australia all my life (18 years). It's pretty nice over here, lovely weather. But in Australia there are sadly many issues for our indigenous people just like in the US. I have met a number of Aboriginal Australians in my life and they, like Native Americans, have a culture that is very connected to the land. I also have met one native American before (a Lakota) albeit briefly; he was a shaman whom I met at a healing workshop. Of course there are very very few native Americans here, so perhaps the best place to communicate with them would be via forums and internet groups such as this one.

Eagle feather, tell me about the Taino? They first encountered Columbus... that is very interesting.

I just spoke to my stepfather last night, he said he had to go through a bit of initiation before attending a powwow, although he was mostly a spectator. He doesn't have native American ancestry either.

[DeafToniB]

Welcome to Powwow.com. I am from Manitoulin Island. I have family ancestors including both my mother in Canada (Ontario and Quebec). We are Cree ancestry and my father have little bit of history ancestry which we don't know very well over the years. His mother and his grandmother are both natives and Cherokees. I hope you enjoy typing all the threads that you might know about Powwow and the culture of our people. Like Barb said, we come from all over United States and Canada. There is one more in the Indian Country and that is Mexico like Peru and other states or provinces. I am very proud to be Cree and Cherokee heritage. I would never be ashame of who I am as native and also as a Deaf person. Hope you have fun with it here. See you around.

[eagle feather]

well hello again lilly thankyou for interest in my people.The Tainos which means good noble people welcomed columbus and gave him whatever they had to give,and in return recieved nothing but hell.Lilly if you would like to learn more you can go to the Taino tribes web at www.uctp.org.until next time goodbye and take care. taino ti

[Barb]

Hi Lily thanks for the spelling lesson I really wasn't sure. As for your Stepfather having to go through a ceromony before going to a Pow wow I have never heard of such a thing before. Here in Alberta we have non Native people at out Pow wows all the time. This is where my comment about respecting the people and culture came from because some of the people that attend our Pow wows are very disrespectful.