32nd Annual Native American Festival Special Attractions

These are some of our special attractions that will be featured at our upcoming 32nd Annual Native American Festival:

  • Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center
  • Zotigh Singers
  • Drew Shuptar-Rayvis — Cultural Ambassador of the Pocomoke Indian Nation
  • Angela Gladue — Frog Lake First Nation
  • Leigh Huntemann & Raven’s Wing Gang
  • Native America’s Protectors
  • Flutist Doug Blair
  • Nate May — Fire Devil Sticks
  • Schirra & Dorothy Gray — Piscataway
  • Medicine Horse Drummers

Also expected to be in attendance:

  • Chief Tyler — Accohannock
  • Chief Morabito — Assateague
  • Chief Tayac — Piscataway
  • Chief Howard — Pocomoke

No pets, drugs, alcohol, or attitudes.

Service animals are welcome.

FYI!

The Tribal Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 12 has been canceled to allow for additional time in preparing for our Festival on September 14.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Tribal Office at (410) 228-0216.

We will be meeting at Shoregate Storage, 5305 Cedar Dr, Cambridge, MD 21613 at 10:00am on Friday, September 13 to unload the storage bins, and will then head to the Ballfield in Vienna, MD to begin setup.

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

In recent months, we here at the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians have been experiencing several technical issues with our website, our Facebook, and our Instagram. We have been working closely with our hosting services and with Meta and are happy to announce that these issues have been resolved. We look forward to getting back to posting regularly on all of these platforms to keep you all updated on the Tribe and our events.

32nd Annual Native American Festival

32nd Annual Native American Festival Flyer

Join us in Vienna, MD at the ball park under the water tower for our 32nd Annual Native American Festival. We are excited for our 32nd year and hope to see all of our family and friends, and make new ones. There will be drumming, singing, dancing, traditional music, storytelling, educational exhibits and demonstrations, arts, crafts, and jewelry vendors, food, and a silent auction. Tickets are $7 dollars at the gate, children under 4 get in for free.

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Summer Solstice

June 20th marks the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. And it also is the official beginning of summer. This day is one of the most celebrated days around the world. It is most commonly known as the Summer Solstice.

While the Spring Equinox begins this journey and represents new beginnings, the Summer Solstice represents the next step of this divine rhythm. Always occurring at the start of the Cancer Sun Season, the Summer Solstice reminds us to turn inward and find the nourishment needed to grow and evolve.

Many Native American tribes perform ceremonies focused on summer solstice. The Sun Dance is believed to have originated with the Lakota tribe. It is a ceremony that lasted 28 days, with a final four to eight days of intense festivity.

Flag Day

Observed on June 14th is National Flag Day in the United States. It is a day for honoring our nation’s flag. Flag Day commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for its first national flag.

The earliest idea to set aside a day to honor the national flag came from Bernard J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin school teacher.  In 1885 Cigrand, encouraged his students to observe June 14 as “Flag Birthday.” He later wrote an essay published in a Chicago newspaper that urged Americans to proclaim this date as the day to celebrate the flag. 

In 1916 President, Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as the official date for Flag Day. In 1949 the U.S. Congress established the date as National Flag Day. Although Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, Pennsylvania celebrates the day as a state holiday. Each year the U.S. president delivers an address and all Americans are encouraged to fly U.S. flags during that week.

World Environment Day

World Environment Day is celebrated around the world on June 5th every year.

Word Environment Day was established by UN General Assembly on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment which was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. 2022 celebrates 50 years of the organization.

In 1974, the first World Environment Day was celebrated with the theme “Only One Earth”. World Environment Day focuses on the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature, and the possibilities for shifting to a greener lifestyle through both policies and individual choices.

“In the universe are billions of galaxies,
In our galaxy are billions of planets,
But there is only one Earth.”

worldenvironmentday.global

National Donut Day

In 1847 American, Hanson Gregory, claimed to have invented the doughnut aboard a lime-trading ship when he was 16 years old. 

In 1938, the Salvation Army started National Doughnut Day to honor the women who served doughnuts to soldiers in World War I. It started as a fundraiser for Chicago’s Salvation Army. The goal in 1938 was to help the needy population during the Great Depression.

A question a lot of us ponder is, “why do donuts have holes?” The answer is really very simple. The reason donuts have holes is to fully cook the insides of the dough.  The dough would have to stay in the oil for a longer time. This would lead to the outsides becoming burnt. Creating a hole in the middle of allows the insides and the outsides to cook evenly; creating a perfect donut.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is recognized and observed on the last Monday of May. From 1868 to 1970 it was observed on May 30.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on this day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many people place a U.S. flag on graves of military personnel. Some consider Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer.

It was in 1868 that General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic called for a “Decoration Day”. By 1890, every Northern state had adopted it as a holiday. The World Wars turned it into a day of remembrance. In 1971, Congress standardized the holiday as “Memorial Day” and changed its observance to the last Monday in May.

Two other days celebrate those who have served or are serving in the U.S. military: Armed Forces Day which is earlier in May and Veterans Day on November 11.

Bike to Work Day

Bike to Work Day was originated by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956 and is a part of Bike-to-Work Week, which is in turn part of National Bike Month.

Bike to Work Day is an annual event that promotes the bicycle as a form of transportation to and from work. It is held in the Spring in many locations including the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. 

Leading up to Bike to Work Day, national, regional, and local bicycle advocacy groups encourage people to commute by bicycle  as a healthy and safe alternative to driving. The American Medical Association has endorsed Bike to Work Day as part of a push to encourage active transportation.

Bike Week is the week that includes the Bike-to-Work Day, in May, and the World Bicycle Day, on June 3.