For the first time in 74 years, the Shinnecock Indian Nation has closed its annual Powwow to outside visitors due to the coronavirus.
The celebration of the tribe’s New Year during the Labor Day weekend typically draws tens of thousands from across Long Island and the Northeast.
“[It] let people know that we're still here and be able to educate the public on our traditions, our culture, our way of life. And to allow us to be seen and heard,” said Powwow Vendor Committee Co-chair Lance Gumbs. “It's going to be heartbreaking, you know, for a lot of us who have never known anything else on that weekend except, you know, Powwow.”
Nearly $2.5 million in federal funding has helped cover some revenue loss from entry tickets and vendor sales, and provided coronavirus assistance for the tribe, a community disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes in Connecticut also closed their annual celebrations, held the last two weekends in August.
