English: PRACTICE - Tri-Community Social Dancers from Philadelphia, Mississippi, practice chanting and dance during a weather-related break of the 2nd Annual Southeastern Indian Festival, hosted by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PBCI) near Atmore, Alabama, in rural Escambia County, on Sunday, April 4, 2014.

The group is composed of Choctaw descendants of patriarch Harold Isaac (Choctaw) who revived the dance group 25 years ago in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Jerrold Denson is the dance group leader and chanter (white t-shirt); Melisa Isaac is the primary organizer and is also a chanter (Harold was Melissa’s father). During this practice, her daughter Santana Isaac leads the women, and Bruce Jim is the male chanter. Following the death of Harold Isaac, tradition says the tribe had to wait a year to reconsider and choose to restart the group.

For more information about the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, please see the Flickr photo album at https://www.flickr.com/short_urls.gne?photoset=aHsmPdtuU2 and the website usda.gov. USDA Multimedia by Lance Cheung.