March | April 2023
The Chasco Native American Festival held within the Chasco Fiesta celebrates the Native American culture with an offering of hoop and fire dancers accompanied by world-class drummers and singers, such as 2019 Native American Music Awards “Artist of the Year” Singer and Grammy member, Shelley Morningsong. Add to that alligator wrestling and reptile programs and other offerings meant to broaden knowledge of the various tribes represented there.
As a former reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, I remember well the controversy of the depiction of Native Americans and the original fictional story behind Chasco and the ire it drew in 2001 from the American Indian Movement about the festival’s depiction of the Florida native populations.
Organizers were moving to change the tenor of the event back then. The Native American Festival is now a mainstay and integral part of cultural education at the Chasco Fiesta. The celebratory Native American Night, which this year was held on Monday, March 24, on the Sims Park stage, is the only night that free entry is offered to the public. Festival goers were also admitted free entry during the day on April 1, during the annual Boat parade
Those events were well attended and lots of festival-goers recorded the colorful and mesmerizing dancers, singers, and drummers on their cell phones.
Can’t compare cell phone video with the real thing and neither can the still photos taken on my digital camera below. But it’s worth a shot, so to speak. 🙂
Michele Miller
What’s What What New Port Richey
Native American Night 2923
Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey
Photos by Michele Miller
Presentations in Sims Park
April 1, 2023
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