Eastside Native American Education Program’s annual veteran’s pow wow set for Saturday

Published 2:25 pm Friday, October 26, 2012

On Saturday, students from the Eastside Native American Education Program (ENAEP) will host their sixth annual Veteran’s Honoring Pow Wow at Juanita High School at 10601 N.E. 132nd St. in Kirkland.

ENAEP is a Title VII program that works with native K-12 students from Bellevue, Northshore and Lake Washington school districts. All program students are invited to join the Youth Leadership Coalition and be members of the planning team for the annual Pow Wow.

Alicia Peterson, Aubrey Roman and Jon Wilber from Juanita and Newport high schools are the pow wow chairs for this year’s event, which is free for all veterans and guests.

As an opening ceremony, a veterans’ flag will be raised outside Juanita. The following dinner and program are sponsored by ENAEP volunteers and served by the students. ENAEP students present each veteran with a booklet of personal thank you messages. During the veterans’ dinner, students will recite their poems, letters and other expressions of thanks.

“I am grateful for our soldiers who fought in the war so we can have peace and a safe world to live today,” Wilber said.

After the dinner, the event will move to Juanita’s gym with a grand entry. Native American arts and crafts vendors from around the region line a dance circle and during the course of this traditional pow wow, many intertribal and round dances will occur. Spectators are welcome to join the dancers in the circle.

The pow wow is run and directed completely by the student leaders.

The event will begin with a flag raising at 3 p.m., dinner and program from 3:15-4:15 p.m., flag lowering at 5 p.m. and grand entry at 6 p.m.