Doug Hall, a member of the Odawa tribe of Minnesota, carries the eagle staff, the traditional American Indian flag, as he leads the procession into the ceremonial areas during American Indian Intertribal Cultural Organization Second Annual Veterans Powwow celebration, held at Central Middle School in Edgewater, Md., Nov. 8. Photo by Rudi Williams. (Click photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available.

"We weren't even allowed to practice our religion, our language, to sing our songs or dance our dances. They said it was sacrilegious," said Old Elk, master of ceremonies at the American Indian Intertribal Cultural Organization Second Annual Veterans Powwow celebration, held at Central Middle School here Nov. 8.

AIITCO, a non-profit association established in 1983, offers its members the experience of cross-cultural sharing of tribal histories, customs and traditions, which helps preserve American Indian heritage.

As the sounds of thundering drumbeats and "vocables" echoed through the school's gym, the grand entry ceremony was led by Doug Hall, who was carrying the eagle staff, the traditional American Indian flag. Hall, a member of the Odawa tribe of Minnesota, was decked out in a multicolored ribbon outfit and was followed by the three-man color guard of the Washington metro chapter of the Vietnam Era Veterans Intertribal Association.

Next came headman Walter Reed of the Lenni-Lenape tribe of New Jersey, part of the Algonquin nation. The headlady was his wife, Justine Reed, a mixture of the Seneca, Ojibwe and Lakota tribes. In leading the group of dancers into the ceremonial area, both performed their respective roles as headman and headlady. Full Story

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