Unity powwow planned in Page this weekend

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

PAGE — Native Insights will host the Second annual Unity Pow Wow Friday and Saturday at Navajo Village Heritage Center, at 1253 Coppermine Rd. in Page.

This event should be bigger than last year’s, said Darrell Marks, the Cultural Arts Building Director for the Page Unified School District. Marks is a Navajo, from Tonelea, Ariz.

“Because of the hard work our youth group has put in over this past year, they have caught the attention of international and national media, renowned powwow dancers and drum groups,” Marks said.

The powwow will help provide funding for future recreation scholarships to attend summer conferences and to continue organizing after-school programs or events for the youth in Page.

“We have seen lots of growth over the past year in anticipation for the event and even with interest over the event,” Marks said. “We are expecting a larger number of dancers, drum groups, and attendees than last year’s powwow.”

Marks anticipates more than 3,000 visitors to the powwow.
A longtime Page resident, Marks is also a sponsor to the Page High School Theatre Tech Club. A husband and father of three, Marks was former sponsor for the UNITY club at Page High School, as well as the former co-sponsor to the Page High School Navajo Language and Culture club.

He has been in his current position for about three years.
One of the founding members of the Native Insights Youth group, Marks, along with his wife, Rachelle, are both current youth advisors for the group.

“In our past as UNITY, Native Insights, Navajo Language and Culture Club have all contributed to many events and activities throughout the past four years,” Marks said.

Among those were the Native American Month concerts, Native American guest speakers, Native American school activities, the UNITY hip-hop festival and numerous performances from native artists such as Eli Secody, Chenoa, Vincent Craig, Radmilla Cody, Blackfire, Tactile, Supaman, James Bilagody, Robert Tree Cody, DJ Abel Rock, and many more, he explained.

It took a lot of work to put the powwow together. The youth and their families were a major help to the powwow committee, that consisted of Marks, his wife, Merle Begay and Alberta Chief Calf.

“We are receiving lots of interest in the powwow and people and businesses, such as our local Wal-Mart, are looking to donate some of their time to assist during the powwow this year,” Marks said.

Plans are already being prepared for the 2009 UNITY powwow, he said.

“We will be posting the head staff for that powwow on our Web site, www.unitypowwow.com,” Marks said.

Other than the powwow, Native Insights has done volunteer work and has offered to assist the local community of Bittersprings in the construction of a playground and basketball court for their housing community.

Native Insights has also helped re-erect the Navajo Nation sign just outside of Page on Highway 89 that had fallen and had been resting on the ground for nearly six years, Marks said.

Native Insights is looking to raise funds to replace the sign that has had continued vandalism and abuse from the elements.

“We hope to also do some landscaping around the sign and place some lighting out there. We are also hoping to host a youth run junior powwow in the summer,” Marks said.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at Hopkins1960@hotmail.com