Enigokamigak Powwow.
Members of West Michgian’s Native American Community pictured above
greet delegates for World Religions Convention held at Calvin College assembled at Ah-Nab-Awen Park to participate in a Powwow organized to celebrate unity in prayer.
Levi Rickert, one of the event organizers pictured here addresses the assembly of festival-goers and delegates.
Mayor George Heartwell, City of Grand Rapids, gives welcoming remarks to the gatherers assembled to witness unity in prayer services and the celebration of American Indian culture on the banks of the Grand River.
Ah-Nab-Awen, a sacred place for the People of the Three Fires (Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawatomi) is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is the site of many festivals identified with Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford Museum in downtown Grand Rapids.
Levi Rickert said the event served as “Enigokamigak (The World) Powwow.
Riding buses, one thousand people from around the world traveled down Burton Street to US-131 to downtown Grand Rapids’ Ah-Nab-Awen Park from Calvin College on June 22 to attend the Enigokamigak Powwow.
“Enigokamigak” is an Ottawa Indian word, which means “the world.” The 1,000 people were part of the World Communion of Reformed Churches’ “Uniting General Council” which spent ten days in Grand Rapids.
The World Communion of Reformed Churches represents 80 million people world wide in 108 different countries.
“Seeing the many different faces of God’s creation from around the world was a powerful experience for me,” stated organizer and long-time community leader, Levi Rickert. “This was the first and only powwow ever held in America that I am aware of that was organized solely to showcase to the world our American Indian culture.”
The Uniting General Conference is held every seven years. The last conference prior to this year’s was held in Ghana. Grand Rapids was chosen to host this year’s conference.
The powwow featured American Indian drumming and dancing. Two American Indian food vendors served American Indian fare, such as fry bread, corn soup and Indian tacos.
“For the remainder of the conference, delegates expressed their appreciation to our local American Indian community for putting this powwow on for them,” adds Rickert.
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