In a vibrant display of culture, community, and resilience, dancers, artists, and musicians gathered in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for a Lenape powwow. The event brought together participants and attendees from across the region and beyond for a day filled with traditional drumming, singing, and competitive dancing, serving as both a lively cultural celebration and a powerful act of community revitalization.
Captured through the lens of photographer Frankie Alduino for New York Magazine’s signature "Look Book" column, the gathering showcased an array of traditional and contemporary regalia, highlighting the deep heritage and modern presence of Indigenous peoples in public spaces across New York City.
Among those attending the gathering was Howard Crouse, a tenth-grader from Salamanca, New York, who offered a straightforward perspective on the atmosphere of the event. Describing what goes on at a powwow, Crouse likened it to a large-scale gathering, comparing the experience to a concert, but one centered entirely around Indigenous culture and community.
While Crouse is Seneca, he noted that attending such events is not a direct part of his own community’s traditional customs and that he participates primarily for fun. However, he highlighted a key tradition from his own background: the smoke dance. According to Crouse, the smoke dance is a fast-paced contest dance historically used to clear traditional longhouses of smoke, where rapid footwork would stir the air and push the smoke out through openings. To win such a contest, he explained, a dancer simply needs the best movement and fast, precise footwork.
The powwow drew participants of all ages from various locations, spanning generations and tribal affiliations. Attendees included Calista Hare, a second-grader from Marty, South Dakota; Cory Ridgeway, a program specialist from Cedarville, New Jersey; Kai’Lyn “Chitanmanëtu Hëtapit” Ellis, a fifth-grader from Bridgeton, New Jersey; and Wanbdi Iron Elk, a ninth-grader also from Marty, South Dakota.
For many attendees, the gathering represented much more than a social event or a dance competition. Kiara Tanta-Quidgeon, an Indigenous-health researcher based in Boston, Massachusetts, emphasized the broader historical and cultural significance of the powwow. When asked what she would tell someone attending a powwow for the first time, Tanta-Quidgeon pointed out that the event is an active revitalization of Indigenous communities. She noted that for a long period of history, traditional dances were legally prohibited by the colonial government. The ability of Indigenous communities to continue holding these gatherings and practicing their traditions despite centuries of suppression is, in her words, a truly beautiful thing.
The event also featured younger participants like Osahpekwe Ridgeway, a fifth-grader from Cedarville, New Jersey, and James Shepard, a fourth-grader from Bowler, Wisconsin. For cultural keepers like Janiyakuha Webster, also from Bowler, maintaining these traditions has involved overcoming significant historical hurdles. Webster discussed the challenges of keeping cultural practices alive, noting that for many years, family members were unable to speak their native language openly. Recalling how older generations, including great-grandparents, had to speak in the basement out of earshot of the children, Webster highlighted the generational trauma and the various cycles that contemporary community members are now working to break.
The gathering also welcomed individuals with diverse personal backgrounds and professional lives, ranging from Rob DeGaetano, a boxer from Douglas, Massachusetts, and Azilya Brings Plenty, a kindergartner from Marty, South Dakota, to Sookunon Nushkeesuqot, a museum president from Southampton, and Alyssa Mosley, a communications coordinator from Bushwick.
Among the participants reflecting on their upbringing and cultural identity was George Stonefish, a consultant from East New York. Recalling his childhood, Stonefish shared that he grew up on 82nd Street in Manhattan—where former professional athlete Joe Namath once lived around the corner—while spending his summers with his grandmother in Canada, where he learned about powwows and traditional ceremonies. Reflecting on this dual upbringing, Stonefish noted that the experience taught him versatility, allowing him to navigate different worlds with confidence, whether interacting with affluent populations in the city or fitting right in on a reservation.
Additional participants documented at the Prospect Park gathering included Cassidy Robideau, a swim teacher from Manawan, Canada; Aiden Ford, a twelfth-grader from Millville, New Jersey; Li’Ana “Wisachulënstet” Ellis, a tenth-grader from Bridgeton, New Jersey; Merna Hare, a paraprofessional from Marty, South Dakota; and Mathyias “Këukëlksit Tëme” Ellis, a twelfth-grader from Bridgeton, New Jersey.
Walking through the details of his regalia, Mathyias Ellis explained that his attire and performance represent a prairie chicken. The dance, he noted, is designed to mimic the movements of a rooster during mating season attempting to catch the attention of female birds through a series of flashy, energetic motions.
