Peg Hays and Tracy Ross preview this weekend’s 29th annual Trail of Tears Pow Wow at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in Hopkinsville.
Hays says the Pow Wow is the oldest in Kentucky and possibly the southeast. It was established to celebrate Native American culture and recognize the 1838 and 1839 Indian Removal.
“The Cherokee, tens of thousands were marched from Georgia and North Carolina to … Oklahoma. And in that terrible tragedy they came through Hopkinsville three times and camped on the river where the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park is,” Hayes said.
Hays says the park is home to the only known burial site of an Indian Chief during the Indian Removal, Chief Whitepath. She says Indian Leader Fly Smith is also buried there.
The competitive Pow Wow attracts premier Native American dancers and this year hosts a Native American story-teller and a flute-player. Hays says there will also be food vendors and an array of authentic Native American products.
All proceeds from the Pow Wow go toward park expansion and maintenance. The entrance fee is a $10 donation for adults and a $5 donation for kids 6 to 12. The Pow Wow goes from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to the 6:00 p.m. award ceremony on Sunday.