Honoring traditions
<p>Justus Cree is a four-time powwow champion. Every piece of his regalia, each bead and feather has meaning, he says.</p>
BONNERS FERRY — When Justus Cree dons the eagle head dress, he is reminded of his ancestors.
When he dances, the 30-something from Yakima, Wash., feels the medicine and healing that his ancestors did.
And when he feels the drum, Cree says his dance often becomes an out-of-body experience.
Many people can’t believe the stout Twin Rivers Hatchery technician can move his 315-pound frame like he does. Cree says he sweats harder after his four-minute dances than he does with any kind of workout.
“Powwow comes from way back,” he says. “It was a war dance, a ceremony. Now, most powwow is an inter-tribal event.”
Cree has seen both sides of powwow, he says. He has seen the traditional, ceremonial side, and the political side with judging and prize money on the line.
A four-time world champion, his connections through the professional powwow circuit have allowed him to bring some of the best and most talented powwow professionals from throughout the Northwest to share Native culture and tradition with the residents of Bonners Ferry on Feb. 5.
“Our dances are healing dances now,” Cree says. “I have had elders thank me, saying that for the four minutes I danced, I took away all their pain.”
As with previous American Music program events, the presenters will have programs earlier in the day with elementary students and with middle and high school students.
The capstone presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. in the BFHS Becker Auditorium.
Cree will provide the story and explanation, describing what each dance means and represents, as well as the meaning behind different parts of the regalia. These are not costumes. From bells to yarn, fringe and feathers, each part has meaning, he says.
The Thursday event will feature performers from all over the west, including drummers Travis Branson from the Flathead tribe in Mission, Mont., Tom Williamson, a Nez Perce from Kamiah, Jordon Stasso, Salish and Kootenai from St. Ignatius, Mont., Bronson McDonald, Bitterroot Salish from Arlee, Mont., men’s grass dancer Chad Brown Eagle, Kalispel from Usk, Wash., men’s fancy dancer J.J. Meninick, Yakima from Lapwai, Idaho, men’s traditional dancer Sheldon Shebala, Navajo from Coeur d’ Alene, women’s jingle dress dancer Paula Shebala, Blackfeet from Coeur d’ Alene, women’s fancy shawl dancer Valarie Adrain, women’s traditional dancer, Liberty Cree from Bonners Ferry and hoop dancer Rodney First Strike from Browning, Mont.
Marisa Shottanana-Ponce, the current Miss Kootenai from Bonners Ferry will present a welcoming for attendees.
Cree is also going to showcase the Kootenai youth he has been drumming with since October in their first performance since taking up the craft.
“My goal is to teach native kids to be proud of who they are, as Native Americans,” he says. “I have been blessed to be good at this. I want to pass on our culture and traditions so it will not be lost.”
Cree is not Kootenai, but works with different tribes teaching his craft, including the lower Kootenai in Creston, British Columbia.
“We can bridge the gap between cultures,” he says. “I’ve been to Europe and Asia, every state in the U.S. and every province in Canada, and traveled with the American Indian Dance Theater,” he says.
Cree is the drumkeeper, and is teaching the Kootenai youth more than just the mechanics of drumming.
“The drum is not just a wooden frame with an animal skin stretched over it,” he says. “It is not a table. It is an actual person, like a grandfather it represents a spirit. I have to keep it warm. If it gets cold, it will go flat and die. When I finish with it, I touch the drum, touch my heart and give thanks.”
Cree feels that one of his biggest charges is helping the native youth navigate the dual cultures of modern Indian life.
“My late grandmother told me, ‘When you get older don’t fail,’” Cree says. “‘Learn to walk the white man’s road in an Indian way.’”
Cree feels that life is about maintaining balance.
“The kids have to have the grades. They earn the right to sit at the drum,” he says. Cree’s drum group started with around five kids, and he has been expanding his drum circle week by week. Even older Kootenai are getting interested in learning the art.
“We lose these kids at a young age,” Cree says. “It is important to help them learn to be proud of who they are.”
Cree feeds off the energy his drum circle creates. He is even beginning to teach the youth the dances he knows.
“To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak,” he says.