Florida’s Final Festival of Feathers
The very first OA Area Conference was created here in Florida in 1945. It had powwow-style Indian dancing and more. This year’s (now called Section) Conference for Florida was advertised as the last Section Conference Festival of Feathers (our name for a powwow) because National said no more after December 31, 2025.
Two weeks ago, the Section held a Section Leadership weekend. They advertised it would include a (small) Festival of Feathers. Resulting in about twice the usual attendance for the event.
In announcing the closing song, the Native leading the powwow announced that the final drumbeat would be heard for Florida OA. And, breaking tradition, said that anyone who wanted to could come join the drum (in the center of the circle). (It is an honor to be asked to stand or sit with the drum.) We pretty much all got up and crowded in together, almost intimately.
And they say there is no interest in Indian Lore in the Order.