RICHMOND, Va. — The 31st annual Great American Indian Exposition and Pow-Wow celebrating Native American culture took place at the Richmond Raceway this weekend.
The three-day event featured more than 100 American Indian dancers, singers, drummers and traditional crafts and food.
Brenda Silva with the Haliwa/Saponi Tribe from Hollister, North Carolina, said she and her family have been working with Pow-Wow organizer Barry Richardson for more than three decades.
"He pulls all of us out during this time in the year when it's usually nothing going on, no pow-wows going on," Silva said. "We all get together, we sing together, we dance, we visit. It's like a big family reunion."
FULL INTERVIEW: All about the Great American Indian Expo and Pow-Wow
Silva said the event is open to the public because it is so critical to share the culture.
"It's very important for us to share our culture, because a lot of people, especially on the East Coast, don't even know that there's natives here," Silva said. "There's so many tribes here... It's very important to teach and stop the stereotypes. So that's what we as teachers have to educate the nonnative world about who we are and that we're still here."
Silva said being able to share her culture is a "blessing" so others will better understand their beliefs and customs.
"We're very fortunate and blessed to be able to practice our culture because so many years before, we weren't," Silva said. "We were forced to do things we weren't used to. And we can practice the beauty of our culture now. The singing and dancing, it's a celebration."
That celebration extends to the younger generations.
"It's very important for us to keep sharing the culture with our children, our grandkids and our great — which I have," she said. "And they all dance, sing, which is a blessing."
November is Native American Indian Heritage Month, which was established in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush.
"We have Thanksgiving every day. We're thankful every day," she said. "Some of us do practice the traditional way, the Thanksgiving way. And we do our two different celebrations. And we're just happy to be here, to be alive."
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