Now that COVID is over, Midwest SOARRING Foundation is busier than ever with land acknowledgment requests and pow wow planning. In November 2022, Midwest SOARRING Foundation held it’s 26th Annual Harvest Pow Wow indoors at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL. Our family friendly Harvest Pow Wow was well received with four to five thousand people in attendance. SOARRING received many, many appreciative compliments on the event. In all ways SOARRING volunteers work hard to make the difference with our annual Pow Wow.
This years’ 2023 Annual Harvest Pow Wow will be held at the same indoor location, the DuPage Cty Fairgrounds October 14th and 15th. In addition to the Native American drumming and dancing filling the arena throughout the day, a live raptor exhibit is planned and a few other surprises are in store. Check the pow wow website for the latest updates. Online discounted tickets are available now at https://www.harvestpowwow.com/tickets.html
Guiding SOARRING’s land acknowledgement work is the principal that each event include a way to take responsibility for past historical wrongs by providing a better future for Native people. One way this is done is through the provision of scholarships for qualified Native applicants provided by an organization. Often a special honor dance occurs with the donors and scholarship recipient present.
As we progress with beautifying our Native American Cultural Center in Lockport, SOARRING is looking for individuals to donate perennial wildflowers from their gardens in the fall. Please send us an email if you have perennial wildflowers to donate to msf@midwestsoarring.org. To further SOARRING’s environmental work, we will be hosting several clean –up days with locations to be determined.
Upcoming Events
Plans are underway for a large Fall Equinox ceremony on September 23rd in Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn. If you have suggestions for Zoom programs for the fall and winter please send us an email with the topic, suggested speaker, and their contact information. msf@midwestsoarring.org. Finally, Brookfield Zoo gifted SOARRING with a number of free admission tickets, so SOARRING will be planning a fall outing to the zoo, with the date to be determined. Check our calendar page for the latest information. https://www.midwestsoarring.org/calendar.html
Also SOARRING will feature two Native films for the public at the Roxie Theater in Lockport on September 30, 2023 at 3pm and 5:30. Check our calendar page for movie descriptions and tickets. https://www.midwestsoarring.org/calendar.html
We are planning a late summer picnic and a winter holiday party at Pilcher Park Nature Center in Joliet.
If anyone has a used pickup truck in good shape, SOARRING would welcome the donation.
Finally, we are seeking scholarship applicants. You may download the 2023 scholarship package at https://www.midwestsoarring.org/scholarship.html
SOARRING looks forward to hearing from you!
Warm regards,
Joseph Standing Bear Schranz