MISSISSIPPI ROADS
SHOW #2703
White Buffalo Pow Wow


Mississippi Roads comes to you from Lee County in Northeast Mississippi. We are at the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo for the third annual White Buffalo Pow Wow.

"TUKOTA" is a very rare white buffalo. So rare in fact that it only happens every one in five million births.
A white buffalo is considered by the Sioux Indian tribes to be the most sacred living thing you could encounter
and he is the name sake of this pow wow. In fact, Tukota was named by a local fourth grade class. Tu is for Tupelo and kota is for the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota tribes that make up the Sioux nation.

The Tupelo Buffalo Park is proud to be the home of such a special animal like Tukato and they encourage everyone to come and enjoy this special treasure.

In our first story, we introduce you to another special and unique animal who has a nose for tracking down pesky insects.

Billy Stutts of Stutts Pest Control has an unusual employee that literally works for his food. His name is Snoopy, and he is the area’s only certified termite detection dog. Snoopy not only is a hard worker but he also connected right away with Billy and this led to wonderful relationship between dog and man. For more information on training dogs visit FSI K9 Academy http://fsik9.com/



Originally, a pow wow or "celebration" as it was first called, was held in the Spring to celebrate the beginning of life. It was a time for people to get together,
sing, dance, renew old friendships and make new ones.

Today, pow wows like the white buffalo pow wow here welcomes all Native American tribes as well as non-Native Americans. They feature singing and dancing competitions for both men and women. Most are dressed in regalia that represents special events or honors in that persons life. Drums and songs are the heartbeat of the pow wow. Passing on this rich cultural heritage is an important part of Native Americans lives.

In our next story, we meet a photographer who is intent on capturing the vanishing culture and landscapes of the Mississippi delta for future generations to enjoy.

Randall Andrews has always had a fascination with the beauty and mystery of the Mississippi delta. Since he was 15, the Clarksdale native has tried to capture that fascination through photography. Although he spent the past three decades pursuing other passions, as a professional chef via the Memphis Culinary Academy, or as a songwriter in Los Angeles, it was always his first love of photography that brought him back to Clarksdale.
Randall is now sharing his photography through a unique collection of photographs at the Tunica Museum in an exhibit called “ Life’s Impressions with Randall Andrews”. The collection showcases his photographs from a decade in Los Angeles to his many travels through the Mississippi delta. It is his wish to have each visitor see a bit of the world, and more importantly, to appreciate the beauty and mystery of the Mississippi delta.

For more information on Randall Andrews, his photography and music visit one of these sites
http://www.buckeleven.com/

http://www.tunicamuseum.com/

http://www.flickr.com/people/phelark/



The White Buffalo Pow Wow here in Tupelo is spread out over a three day weekend in September. Friday is set aside as a day for the local school children to attend the event. And these kids have a ball out here.

They get to experience blow gun demonstrations, pottery making, basket weaving, and story telling. They are also exposed to Native American dancing and drumming and they are encouraged to join in on the dancing.

Native Americans hold their youth and the older generations in very high regard. They believe it is important to educate the young and gain wisdom from the elder tribe members.

In our next story, a revolutionary new project is being developed and tested right here in Tupelo to help house our senior citizens and give them a higher quality of life in their golden years.

Tupelo, Mississippi is home to a leading long-term care reform that is sweeping the nation. The Green House Project, headed by geriatrician Dr. Bill Thomas, opened the door to the 1st Green House at the Traceway Retirement Community in 2003. There are now Green Houses in 24 states, and a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will expand the movement to all 50 states. Based on Dr. Thomas’s Eden Principles, the Green Houses are developed as an alternative to a nursing home, focusing on the elders’ quality of life, including more personal care, home cooked meals, and the opportunity to choose their activities and daily schedule. All of these things help to extend dignity, autonomy, and choice to the elders. The Green House is a small intentional community for a group of eight to ten elders, and most importantly, it is a home.
For mor information visit one of these web sites.

http://thegreenhouseproject.com
http://traceway.org/default.html
http://www.mississippimethodist.org/main.html