Native American culture on display at Cherokee Trail River Festival

Thunderous drumming and chanting as well as the sight of Native Americans in full regalia drew crowds to Cayce on Saturday for the 15th Native American Cherokee Trail River Festival.

Participants in clothing decorated with feathers, beads and bells entertained audiences with dances, songs and stories of Native American heritage in a grassy area in front of the Cayce Historical Museum.

The festival was presented by the city of Cayce and the Circle of Native Americans, a nonprofit group dedicated to educating people about the culture and heritage of Native Americans.

“It’s a way for us to feel like we’re part of a community and that we belong to something,” said Marcy Hayden, the program coordinator of Native American affairs for the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.

Hayden, who has Native American ancestry, was selling native-inspired jewelry and dreamcatchers, which she has been making since she was 11 and has recently turned into a side business.

Hayden also spoke to the crowd about a proclamation from Gov. Nikki Haley declaring November Native American Heritage month in South Carolina and Nov. 18 as South Carolina’s Native American Heritage Day.

At least 29 distinct groups of Indians once lived in South Carolina. Today that number is much smaller, but there are still many descendants of Cherokee, hence the festival’s name.

Andy Spell, chief of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso tribe based in Ridgeville, led a group in Southern style Native American drumming and singing. His tribe is descended from the Natchez and Kusso Indians, who are recorded as living in the state as early as 1577, according to the tribe’s website.

Spell said the Cayce festival has grown over the years, which is a good thing.

“It’s crucial to helping people understand our culture.”

Another special guest at Saturday’s event was Chief Steve Silverheels, son of Jay “Tonto” Silverheels from the TV show “The Lone Ranger,” the very first Native American to star on national television.

Some of the biggest applause of the day, however, was reserved for The Aztec Dancers.

The group, Tlaltlacayolotl, which means “Earth, Heart and Man” in Nahuatl, wore headdresses adorned with four-foot feathers and bells encircling their ankles. They stomped and spun in sync to a single drum’s beat.

At one point, the group’s leader, speaking through a translator, pointed at the sky and said, “Here is the Creator. Here is the great Mother Earth. Here are the Indians. And we will never stop existing.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Native American culture on display at Cherokee Trail River Festival."