Dave"Whitewolf" Trezak and POW WOWS

[weheli]

Has anyone heard of Tribal Crossroads and Native American performing artist Dave"Whitewolf" Trezak??

I have been checking out some pow wows while here in TN/KY and have found some interesting things. The above mentioned pow wow will be in Litchfield, KY. Head man is Grady "shadowhawk" jones,head lady, Beth "moonfeather" Facille. Storyteller Grandmother "Coyote" HMMMM.

I did attend a pow wow in Portland TN,"DID NOT SEE ANY ONE I KNEW SELLING FLUTES AND THINGS".I HAD TO CHUCKLE WHEN I SAW A YOUNG LADY WITH AN AIRBRUSHED DARK TAN,(she forgot her white hands ) and was wearing a two braided wig. What was really hilarious to me is when they did a womens tradition buckskin dance and this air brush YOUNG lady, to me 30 is young, told us all to go into the arena and line up across, there were 6 of us, this is a NO NO and not traditional at all, and then she stars counting after the drum starts, ana1,ana2,ana3 ,I'm sorry but I really thought I was at an Arthur Murry studio . This is very , very nontraditional, and then as we were dancing we were not close enough to the other three and she made a comment about my dancing(Cherokee Traditional) been doing it for years, and to move closer to the other women, it was at that point I spoke up in the Cherokee way and she was taught a lesson that day....

HERE IS ANOTHER POW WOW: I believed we have discussed this group, Upper Current River Pow Wow. Yep the Western Cherokee. The Missouri/Arkansas bunch . The feature is "Larry Sellers". It will be held in Salem, Missouri. I believe this was Lola smith aka Scholl. I have a news paper all about them, will read when I return home and check for any new info.

                                                                                               Weheli :-/

[educatedindian]

The only things I could find on Trezak were a lot of listings of him at powwows in Florida, a few in Alabama. He's MCed a lot in addition to his music. He's usually listed as Dave Trezak. What is it that has your wondering?

Jones is a flute player and MC. Moonfeather sometimes lists her last name as Huotari, sometimes as Facille. Their home page. http://www.tribalcrossroads.com/Staff.html

[weheli]

Thanks Al,
Am considering going to the Crossroads pow wow and wanted tp know if this is a group we had discussed in order to have some info. on them.
                                                                                 Weheli

[frederica]

Both Grady Jones and Dave Trezak were out of TN for a while. Grady Jones tried to form a Nation in middle TN, by buying land. He and his wife dropped the idea when the State of Tennesse refused to recognize them. I have to look for the name. Both play the flute at various powwows around the Southeast. Dave Trezak and Grady Jones were both nominated for the NAMMY awards a few years back. But didn't win. There were several protests to the NAMMY's about how they were even nominated, and were told they do not check documentation, didn't have time.  frederica

[frederica]

PS I think they are now enrolled in one of the State Tribes in Alabama. frederica

[JosephSWM]

One of those tribes in Alabama has an a membership fee. I think its called the Deer Clan Cherokee of Alabama, something like that. David Michael Wolfe, who has been mentioned on a few various threads as a fraud, is a member.

I think with the Nammys anyone can submit a nomination.  A wannabee NDN flute player here in Baltimore did this so he could use it on his promo material.

[frederica]

Yes, you are right on both counts. The Echota Deer Clan is there with about 4 or 5 others. They call it donations rather than membership fees. Sounds more legitimate. I know they have a rather large membership, The Poarch Creek is the only Federally Recognized Tribe, the rest are State. I am not sure which one of the Tribes they belong to, but 2 are Cherokee. So I am guessing it is one of the two.  Either the Deer Clan or the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama. The rest are Muskogee or Choctaw. frederica                                                          

[frederica]

Joseph,  Your memory is better than mine. I had to go check out David Michael Wolfe. Thought it sound familiar.  He was the one involved in the New Jersey Keetoowah, and Sand Hill Cherokee/Delaware. Suppose to be a "Culturist". Their history was somewhat amiss.  and their claims of recognition. frederica

[JosephSWM]

David Micheal Wolfe claims to be the head of the Nuyagi Keetowah but was banished for stealing sacred ceremonial items. He is however a member of the Echota Cherokee in Alabama and the Southeastern Cherokee Council in Georgia, both which state in their by laws you can't be a member of another tribe at the same time. He has been called into question by many.

His most humorous claim is that he was in reform school with Malcom X. Wolfe is in his mid 50s so if we do the math it doesn't add up. Claims to have been at Wounded Knee in 73. I think a good word for him would be delusional. Sees himself as THE authority on Cherokee culture.

He bad mouths every group there is in this area but face to face tells them how wonderful they are. . Burns the candle at both ends and is not well like. The fool lives no more than 10 minutes from me and has been a thorn in my side for years.

Hmmm, can you tell I really don't like the guy?

Joseph

[frederica]

Don't blame you. Anyone that is talked about pilfering ceremonial items should be banished. There are some States that have a good format for recognition of these States tribes. Some do not.  The Echota Cherokee, at one time, claimed around 20,000 members. All 1/4 or above. There has been some questionable dealings also. I heard they has some unexpected visitors checking them out, not too long ago. Many of their members are legimate. It's a shame when the bad overrides to good. frederica