15th Annual Daniel Nimham Intertribal Pow Wow
donations benefit programs aiding our wounded military
15th Anniv. Nimham Powwow Benefits Wounded Military Aug. 15 & 16
15TH ANNUAL DANIEL NIMHAM INTERTRIBAL POW WOW AUGUST 15TH & 16TH 10AM – 5PM
~ FREE ADMISSION & PARKING ~ PUTNAM COUNTY VETERAN’S MEMORIAL PARK – NIMHAM FIELDS
201 GIPSY TRAIL ROAD, CARMEL, NY 10512
Aug. 4, 2015. Carmel, NY.This year marks the 15th anniversary of Putnam County, NY’s popular annual Native American festival known as the Daniel Nimham Intertribal Pow Wow. Named after the Wappinger Chief who led his warriors in the service of the American Revolution, The Nimham Mountain Singers of Kent Lakes, NY, founded the Nimham Pow Wow 15 years ago to create awareness and appreciation for the original inhabitants of the Hudson Valley and New York State. The proud Wappinger Indians lived throughout Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in eastern New York State. Fighting alongside the Patriots, they helped push the British out of Boston, fought at Monmouth and other important Revolutionary War battles and were instrumental in helping the colonials win their war of independence. Father and son, Daniel and Abraham Nimham, along with 40 Wappinger and Stockbridge Indians lost their lives at the battle of Cortlandt’s Ridge in the Bronx during an ambush in August of 1778. Three years ago The Wappinger Memorial was completed with donations from the public attending the Nimham Pow Wows and stands as the only permanent monument in the Hudson Valley to honor Native Americans and their veterans.
Every year the Daniel Nimham Intertribal Pow Wow is a veterans memorial community event for the whole family, with portions of the proceeds having gone to Tower of Hope, which provides trained service dogs for veterans, and the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports wounded veterans and their families through programming.
This year the Nimham Pow Wow organizers have chosen Semper Fi Odyssey to also receive benefits from the Pow Wow.
Semper Fi Odyssey, founded and run by Major General Tom Jones USMC (Ret.), is the U.S.’ only holistic transition process for the wounded Marines, Sailors and Soldiers who are nearing discharge from the Wounded Warrior Regiments, both east and west coast. (http://www.outdoorodyssey.org/?page_id=1056) Located in Boswell, Pennsylvania, and gaining traction nationwide as a phenomenal program, Semper Fi Odyssey has teamed with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on a ground breaking program known as TEAM TBI, which holds enormous positive ramifications for our warriors suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as well as for injuries sustained in sports and in vehicular accidents. Gil Tarbox, an Army veteran and a co-Founder of the Daniel Nimham Intertribal Pow Wow, learned first-hand from one of Semper Fi Odyssey’s USMC veteran volunteer Team Leaders, John Folchetti USMC (Lt. Col, Ret.) living in Putnam County, about the transformative program with over 1200 wounded, injured, or ill active duty and veteran service members having attended 45 of the Semper Fi Odyssey transition program’s week-long conferences since 2008. Semper Fi Odyssey is a six-day, holistic transition-assistance event with a curriculum designed to get participants ready for life after military service while preparing them for success. The veteran Team Leaders, many of whom have walked in the same shoes as the participants, are carefully screened volunteer business professionals who have successfully transitioned out of the military and into the civilian workplace. As well as classroom time, there are team cohesion building activities that include outdoor climbing, zip lines, yoga, and other forms of physical exercise. Due to the generosity of Semper Fi Fund donors, and partners and volunteers, the Semper Fi Odyssey program is provided at no expense to the participants: our transitioning, active duty injured service members and veterans. Accordingly, Semper Fi Odyssey is a collaborative effort to give back to our men and women who have honorably worn the uniform. Semper Fi Odyssey is the only program of its kind in the nation and the Pow Wow organizers are proud to be able to bring attention to and to support Semper Fi Odyssey. Everyone is encouraged to stop by the Semper Fi Odyssey booth at the Pow Wow to learn more, speak to volunteers in the program, and get your raffle ticket chance on a basket of goodies.
The 15th Annual Daniel Nimham Intertribal Pow Wow Grand Entry begins each day at 12 noon; the Park gates open at 10am rain or shine. Drum performances include the Host Drum – Nimham Mountain Singers, Red Storm Drum & Dance Troupe from Staten Island, Pretty Elk Singers from NE Pennsylvania, Northern Light from New England, and Voices of the Grove from upstate NY.
There will be Native American drumming, social and specialty dancing, storytelling in the teepee, food vendors, arts & crafts vendors, pony rides on Sunday, and both days have Skyhunters in Flight birds of prey show, a bouncy castle, and Grammy nominated award winning flutist, Joseph Firecrow, and more. 100.7 WHUD DJ Mike Bennett will be at the Pow Wow Saturday Aug. 15th from 12 noon – 2pm with a raffle for dinner and a show for two to Westchester’s Broadway Theater.
A hand-drum competition will be held Saturday night at 7pm with the public welcome to attend, with Pow Wow festivities closing Sunday Aug. 16th at 5pm.
Sponsors include the I Love NY, New York State Council on the Arts, Putnam Arts Council, and H. G. Fairfield Arts Center for the Environment. All donations are welcome: portions of net proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org) and local Brewster, NY, veteran-led Semper Fi Odyssey (http://www.outdoorodyssey.org/?page_id=1056).
A $20 donation at the Pow Wow and Park entry gate enables the giver to receive a thankyou gift.
Admission and Parking are free.
For more information, visit www.nimham.com or call Gil Tarbox at 845-225-8154. – /// –