| DescriptionMaking Frybread.jpg |
Spc. Stacy R. Mull, a 20-year-old Okemah, Okla., native, and Creek Indian, kneads ingredients to make a Native American-style fried bread during a pow wow at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, Sept. 18, 2004. The U.S. Army's 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, a Okmulgee, Okla.,-based reserve unit currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, held the event to promote cultural understanding of Native American heritage with other servicemembers here, and to bring a piece of home to many of the Native Americans serving in Iraq. Nearly 20 percent of the 120th's soldiers are of Native American descent. Highlights of the festivities included storytelling, dancing, music, a class on pow wow etiquette, and the chance to sample traditional food. Historically, a pow wow was a ceremony performed before hunts and battles. Today, pow wows are held to celebrate special occasions, such as the birth of a child, and to share songs and customs. |
