Vinyard Indian Settlement invites family and public to Reconnection Days
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Vinyard Indian Settlement invites the public to its headquarters in Herod Saturday and Sunday to celebrate 201 years since the Shawnee families fled down the Ohio River to settle in southeastern Illinois.
The event is the Hiso Kanawha Reconnection Days where people will have the opportunities to learn from the Vinyard descendants, contribute to their history, enjoy traditional Native American food and watch a traditional sunset to sunrise stomp dance. The festivities begin 4 p.m. Saturday.
The indigenous Shawnee families 201 years ago fled the pursuing colonial militia down the Ohio River, according to a release from the Vinyard Indian Settlement.
This retreat led to families settling among a group of Irish and German immigrants known as Vinyard already occupying lands north of Karber's Ridge from Garden of the Gods to Saline Landing.
The revival of the Vinyard Indian Settlement was decided by several Native descendants in order to maintain and continue this history into the present before it is lost forever. Ilay and Ada Vinyard were the last full blood citizens to maintain their lives in the area. Ilay died in 1953 and Ada lived into the sixties. Reconnection Days are established in order to bring together both the native Vinyard descendants and the German/Irish descendants to observe this history.
The VIS asks descendants to bring cameras, photographs and any historical records existing in descendants' families.
On Saturday the VIS anticipates visitation and communication. The VIS will provide traditional native foods, such as dahqualaquay which is a stew of homemade hominy, red beans and chicken or pork or vegetarian served with cornbread, according to VIS chairman Barney Bush.
"We will have some of our own local dishes, probably roasted deer meat and probably some buffalos stew and might throw in some greens," Bush said.
At sunset the VIS hosts a traditional stomp dance which continues to sunrise. The public may participate in certain dances though no photographs will be allowed. Tradition dictates women who participate must wear skirts or dresses to participate, Bush said.
Visitors who travel from afar are invited to camp near our springs on the VIS grounds. A common fireplace as well as toilet facilities will be provided. For VIS native descendants are invited to request enrollment forms to ensure membership when the VIS go before Congress for federal recognition.
Sunday morning, VIS will host a sunrise ceremony followed by a traditional meal and discussion.
For Bush the event is a way not only to reconnect the Vinyard descendants, but also to educate them and the public on the settlements historic role in the region.
"We are asking people to gradually bring ceremonies back here piece by piece so we can get a little bit over time. At our council meetings we introduce a few new words at a time," Bush said.
"It takes time for this. We are reviving a culture."
More information is available by calling (618) 264-5909, (618) 841-6700, or (618)201-4090 or at the Internet site http://www.vinyardindiansettlement.org. The temporary VIS offices and festival site are located one mile north of Herod on state Route 34. There is a sign at the driveway in the shape of a tomahawk.
<ul>
<li>
DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
</ul>