Written by Cody Helm
December 2015
Interested in American Indian Affairs? Want to learn more but don’t know how? Come out to Carolina Indian Seminar (CIS) and you’re sure to have a blast! Each year, Eswau Huppeday, Lodge 560, hosts the annual Order of the Arrow Carolina Indian Seminar. It is set to be an excellent weekend of instruction, dance, crafts, fun and fellowship.
On Friday, January 22nd to Sunday, January 24th, 2016, CIS will be held at the Mitchell Community College Continuing Education Center, 701 West Front Street, Statesville, NC. Please plan on arriving no earlier than 5:00 pm on Friday. Due to the College’s limited amount of space, it can only hold 400 participants. We recommend registering early to guarantee your spot. To register for CIS, you can visit the Eswau Huppeday Lodge website here: http://to.lodge104.net/4ULJFy. The deadline to register is January 8, 2016. Registrations are taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registrations and payments should be mailed to the address shown on the form. Registrations after this date may not be guaranteed a meal ticket. A key point is that everyone must pre-register as part of a chapter contingent with a tour permit. If a chapter cannot assemble their own contingent, then we can place a few scouts with other chapters with sufficient advance notice.
The price per participate is $38 which includes meals, classes, Friday and Saturday powwows, an information booklet, space for sleeping, and event patch. A Saturday Day Pass may be purchased at $22 which includes classes, Saturday powwow, and event patch (no meals provided). A Saturday Day Pass with Lunch can be purchased for an extra $6. A Powwows Only Pass may be bought at $5 which provides access to campus after 5:00pm, for non-registered dancers and spectators. Children 5 and under are free but should still register. We will be using the classrooms and gym for sleeping quarters.
Due to safety requirements, everyone on campus at any point of the day must be registered and must wear their wristbands at all times. Please stop by the registration desk, located in the hallway outside of the Gym both Friday and Saturday, to pick up your wristband and information packet. Additional patches will be available for sale at the registration table. There will be various dance sessions throughout the day on Saturday, including Traditional, Fancy, Grass, Straight, and Ladies dance and clothing. In addition, there will be sessions on beadwork, quillwork, bustle construction, drumming, OA ceremonies, and much more.
Personally, CIS is one of the greatest places to learn about AIA. It is a wonderful way to get involved in AIA or expand your knowledge of AIA. I will never forget the first time that I went to CIS. I received amazing teaching from very knowledgeable instructors, unquestionably the best in the state. I remember talking to so many different people in the cafeteria from other lodges and making incredible friendships. And most importantly, I formed everlasting memories during the powwows by being given the extraordinary opportunity to observe and perform with the best dancers/singers in the nation. I am counting down the days to CIS, are you? Hope to see everyone there!
For more information, check out CIS FAQ: http://to.lodge104.net/RWdAtW.
