Cherokee Nation

LITTLE ROCK — It will be cowboys in Clinton and Indians in Conway this weekend.

The national chuck-wagon races in Clinton have been held for more than two decades; Saturday marks the first Arkansas Cherokee Nation Powwow. The powwow will be from 1-10 p.m. Saturday at the Young Business Men's Association Fairgrounds on Robins Street in Conway.

Harold Helton, 59, of Conway is one of three principal chiefs for the Arkansas Cherokee Nation of Chickamauga Cherokee. He said Chickamauga are the warriors of the Cherokee.

"We're not interested in starting casinos, forming a reservation or badmouthing any other tribes. We want to preserve the culture, the language and educate people about the impact of Cherokees on Arkansas history," Helton said.

In 2004, Helton said his cousins went to a meeting about establishing the paper trail needed for American Indian certification.

After having to pay lots of fees and not seeing much in the way of results, Helton and others decided to form their own group in December 2007.

"There are some groups that are scamming people promising them federal recognition. Our registration fee is $35, and we don't guarantee any benefits," Helton said.

He said there are about 300 certified members and another 100 who are working on the paperwork needed to become certified.

"We're the only race that has to carry an identification card. Most people would think it rude to go up to a biracial person and ask them what percentage they are, but that's something people with Native American ancestry get asked all the time," Helton said.

The powwow starts with the grand entry, prayer, flag song, memorial song and victory song at 1 p.m. followed by traditional dancing by the Manatidie Blackfoot Society of the Kiowa-Apache Nation in Oklahoma.

According to a press release provided by Helton, the focus of the dance is four ceremonial staffs, two crooked and two Y-shaped, wrapped in otter skins and decorated with eagle feathers.

There will be another dance at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. At 8 p.m. audience members can participate in war dancing. There will also be storytelling, concessions and arts and crafts vendors available throughout the powwow.

"My favorite part of powwows is meeting the people and sharing the history. There is so much to learn and understand," Helton said.

Helton said Cherokees began arriving in Arkansas as early as 1808, when President Thomas Jefferson was moving American Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River. Helton said the first Indian reservation west of the Mississippi River was established in Arkansas around 1817.

"A lot of the Cherokees were told they could renounce their ancestry and stay in Arkansas. There are some older peoplewho are Cherokee and won't admit it, because they are still worried about what the government will do to them," Helton said.

He said racism against American Indians has been fueled by ignorance. For example, Helton said the habit of asking a person what his percentage of heritage is from a time when lawmakers wanted to know how many generations it would take before "full-blooded" American Indians were extinct.

"It wasn't until 1924 that Native Americans got the right to vote. In 1978, the Indian Civil Rights Act allowed them to practice their religion in public. In 1992, they were allowed to use peyote buttons and bald eagle feathers in their ceremonies again," Helton said.

He estimates there are thousands of people in Arkansas who have Cherokee ancestry. It is a time-consuming task to track American Indian lineage.

"You go to the oldest living family member, videotape them talking about your family history and get them to sign a sworn affidavit about what they say. Thenyou work backwards to establish links with birth certificates, census records, family Bible records," Helton said.

He said genealogy Web sites can help people track their ancestry and get advice, as well as resources from others researching their American Indian family tree.

"People should understand that Native Americans are just like anyone else wanting to preserve their heritage," Helton said.

Admission to the powwow is $2 per person. Children under age 6 are admitted free. No ice chests are allowed, but lawn chairs are suggested. Parking is free. For more information about the Arkansas Cherokee Nation visit www.arkansaschero kee.us, e-mail arkansascheroke e@conwaycorp.net or call (501) 358-4320.