Little Elk's Retreat Pow Wow  2004

When Thomas and I started going to the Little Elk's Retreat Pow Wow in 1995, the houses were just like the houses you find in the reservation.  Every year, there's improvements in the homes and  pow wow grounds.  The rest rooms were upgraded and cleaner.  The showers were fixed, too. 

In 1995, I and Tom used a clunker, an Indian van.  Our van was a Ford Econoline 120 with rusts and holes on the roof.  I'm afraid of the rain when we travel because we'll get soaked.  On the driver's side floor was a big hole.  Thomas had to be careful where to set his foot or else he'll fall out of the vehicle.  When our daughter Lorrina borrowed the van, her friends would ran back to their homes.  They thought it was a drive-by shooting.

In 1999, when I found a job as an Autocad survey developer, I decided, enough is enough and bought 2 newer vans. I didn't really care how much I had to pay monthly and how enormous the interest rate was.  Everybody at the Ford dealer exclaimed, "You guys really need a car!"

I noticed the same thing is happening along the neighborhood of SagChip village.  Cars were newer and nicer than before.  There's a really big boost to the way they live.  It's the casino!

 

Mount Pleasant Pow Wow a Nightmare to Traders

The Mount Pleasant Pow Wow has always been a good one for many years.  Traders had to line up to get their spots on Thursday before the pow wow.  Wednesday before the pow wow, the grounds was still empty of tents except 3 or 4. 

The number of traders has swelled from 60+ in 2005 to 145+ in 2007.  At 4:00, Wednesday afternoon, committee members decided to retire for the night in the nice RV by the circle.  Traders start to show up 5:00 in the afternoon just to find out that they have to wait the following day to setup.  Wednesday, the circle was almost filled with tents.  There were 3+ traders that were lucky enough to get in the circle. 

6:00 the following morning, Thursday, August 2, 2007, traders started to line up.  4 hours later, there is no sign of the woman that was supposed to help the vendors setup.  Everyone was hungry and hot midst the sweltering summer sun.  At 10:00 AM, the woman appeared and told everyone that she was also in line.  The line of the traders extended all the way to the street.

3+ Traders tore down and left Saturday night.

We were so heartbroken.  Thomas said that it is our fault that we didn't show up early enough....but why was it that some of their friends didn't need to line up and just showed up Friday, August 3, 2007 like our nephew?

 Little Elk's Retreat Pow Wow  2005 

                          

                                                                        pictures taken in front of our booth

   They had fireworks for almost an hour!