NEKOOSA, Wis. (WSAW) – Ho-Chunk Gaming in Nekoosa held a Native American Song and Dance Showcase to teach the community about Ho-Chunk culture.
The showcase gave Wood County residents demonstrations of traditional dances and the opportunity to buy Ho-Chunk-created art, jewelry, clothes, and food.
Eric Logan, marketing director at Ho-Chunk Casino Nekoosa, said his team wanted to create something for Native American History Month. The marketing team said they did not want the event to involve casino, restaurant, and bar activities, but to focus on teaching and informing the community.
Logan said he heard immediate feedback from one couple.
“They really enjoyed the fact that Dylan explained a lot of the dances, the regalias, the meaning behind the songs, the meaning behind the feathers, all the designs. And they really understood a little bit more about our culture,” Logan said.
Dylan Prescott, a cultural awareness speaker and historian hired by the casino to help coordinate the event, explained why it was important to teach the Nekoosa community about Ho-Chunk culture and break stereotypes.
“We’re just like everyone else. We live just like everyone else, but at the same time, when it comes down to our ceremonial ways, our language, our song and dance, although that’s when it comes time to do these things,” Prescott said.
Performers showcased traditional Ho-Chunk dances and songs, with Prescott explaining their meanings to the crowd.
Prescott said his favorite part of traveling to inform the community is when he sees the crowd’s demeanor shift during a performance.
“It seems like when they come out, when their fears come, they’re waiting around, don’t know what to expect. But it seems like by the end of the song, by the end of, you know, our performance, everyone’s smiling, everyone kind of has a more upbeat kind of vibe. I love it. That’s the part I love the most,” Prescott said.
Prescott said anyone can attend cultural event showcases like the one held in Nekoosa. He said it is about showing each other similarities rather than speculating on differences.
Logan said he did not imagine the crowd would be as large as it ended up being. He said he hopes to host the cultural showcase again next year and accommodate a bigger attendance.
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