Shinnecock Powwow opens tribe's land, customs to the public in Southampton: What to expect 

When people think of Southampton, images of wide-open beaches, celebrity-filled summer benefits and multimillion dollar homes may come to mind.

One of the longest standing parts of the town is actually the Shinnecock Nation. For the past 300 years, this Native American tribe has quietly lived on this 800-acre reservation maintaining its traditions and culture.

"The Shinnecock Nation is still here and we are just as strong as we always have been," says Charles K. Smith II, 62 of Southampton, former sachem of the Shinnecock Nation council. "We are a close-knit community, like a big family. Everyone watches out for each other."

This weekend, the Shinnecock Nation will open its land to the public for the 78th annual Shinnecock Indian Powwow, which runs Aug. 30-Sept. 2.

"This is our biggest celebration of the year. It’s time for the gathering of different nations," says Smith, who serves as the co-master of ceremonies. "The powwow is a friendly and inviting place. It’s an environment where you not only learn about the Shinnecock Nation, but the other visiting tribes as well."

The Powwow draws up to 10,000 people a day who come to see more than 50 tribes from all over North America gather to compete in dance and drum competitions, serve food and sell handmade goods.

Here are four activities to engage in during at this traditional event:

WATCH DANCE, DRUM COMPETITIONS

Tribes such as Narragansett from Rhode Island, Mashpee Wampanoag from Massachusetts, Lumbee from North Carolina, Sioux from North and South Dakota, Cherokee from Oklahoma and others compete in four rounds of dance competitions at various age divisions. Every dance has a different style and there's a panel of judges that rate each tribe’s performance on a 1-10 point system.

The Fancy Dance is elaborate with bright colors, regalia and feathers incorporating acrobatic movement. Women’s Jingle Dance brings healing to those in need as well as a positive vibe. The Smoke Dance, which comes from the Iroquois tribe, is fast paced causing dancers to jump up and act like they are going to stomp out a fire.

Women’s Eastern Blanket Dance involves props.

"Women take a blanket or a shawl then move them in coordination with the drumbeats," says Keith Colston, co-master of ceremonies.

Meanwhile the Men’s Eastern War Dance is highly energetic.

"These men tell a story of conflict through dance," says Colston. "The crowd gets to see the warrior mentality turn into a physical movement. Sometimes it’s not just about conflict, it can be in reference to a story told through the motions of their bodies."

In addition to the dance competitions, several tribes will engage in drum competitions broken down into two categories. The first is Drum Group, where tribe members perform all around one big drum. The second is Hand Drum where each individual plays on their own hand drum.

"Because the drummers provide the music for the dancers, the drum competitions take place in between the dances," says Smith. "The judges will say, ‘Pick out your best song and your next song will be your contest song.’ ”

ENJOY LIVE MUSIC

Aside from the competitions, the crowd will be entertained by live music performances. Shinnecock Nation’s own Matt Hunter, of Shirley, is set to play a solo acoustic set mixing originals with country, classic rock and reggae covers.

His own material stems from his debut album, "Beachfire Fairy Tales," which is set to drop in September featuring songs like "Lilies by the Sea," "Skywalker" and "Book of Us." Hunter writes in bluegrass, country and classic rock styles.

"The culture has affected me to the point where I’m adding certain Native American elements to my music such as chanting and lyrics that are related to the land, sky and sea," says Hunter, 41.

Don’t miss the band Blackbird as they bring their alternative fusion rock sound to songs from their extensive album catalog. Highlighted this year will be tracks from the latest release, "Existence is Resistance," such as "The World’s Alive" and "Talk About the NDN."

"In between songs, we will perform some instrumental breakdowns and open jams to keep it fresh," says lead singer/flutist Cody Blackbird, 35.

TASTE NATIVE AMERICAN DISHES

Expand your palate by indulging in some authentic Native American cuisine sold by vendors on the reservation.

Try some succotash (a thick stew containing beans and corn with salt pork and smoked chicken or turkey), samp (dried corn kernels that have been chopped until broken and grinded into a fine mielie rice), stuffed fry bread (deep fried dough filled with wild rice or homemade chili containing smoked meat), Indian tacos (fry bread topped with chili, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions) or the Buffalo burgers. Shinnecock Nation is known for its homemade clam chowder.

"We use fresh Shinnecock chowder clams from our Shinnecock Bay, which are sweet and delicious," says entertainment chair Susan Soto. "The soup is filled with tomatoes, potatoes and a medley of vegetables."

SHOP FOR HANDMADE ITEMS

A Native American marketplace offers handmade items for sale such as clothing with intricate beadwork, leather goods and the most popular item: handcrafted jewelry.

"People love the clam shell jewelry called wampum," says Soto. "They purchase rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Typically, the purple part of the shell is incorporated in each piece."

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.