Native dance team draws crowd to Maytag Park

Native American dancer Butch McIntosh stamps and twirls about, the colorful feathers and fabric of his regalia shaking as he moves in time with the steady thump of the hand drum. Children in the audience look on, some with mouths agape or with furrowed brows, not quite sure what to think of coming face to face with something many have only seen in movies. But by the time the question and answer session rolls around, the same kids are all too eager to ask about eagle feathers, or buffalo jaws. McIntosh and the rest of the Native American dancers in the Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree Team performed at Maytag Park Saturday morning, treating the crowd to a taste of their cultural heritage. Feathers shaking, bells jingling and drum thumping, the dancers moved to the beat, even inviting members of the audience to dance at one point. The appearance occurred in conjunction with the Newton Masonic Lodge, which invited the 15-member team from Tulsa to perform in Newton. McIntosh said the team has performed all over the world, educating people about Native American culture and helping to dispel misconceptions perpetuated by popular culture. “We love to teach our culture and our way of life. What most people know is what they see on TV. They don’t know how spiritual our world is. Everything we do, we thank the creator for,” he said. “We want people to know that instead of just shoot-em-ups on TV.” Terri Ayres of Newton was selected to dance alongside dancer Dr. Jay Craig near the end of the performance. Ayres thought the event was a great chance for people to learn about a different culture. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “This is really a lot to me and culturally, it’s really neat for people to learn about.” Ron Ehresman of Newton brought his grandson Trevor Fritz, who was visiting from Kansas City. “What I thought was interesting was they talked about the traditions of all the tribes I wasn’t aware of,” Ehresman said. Fritz liked the show, too, noting that it was “pretty cool.” After the show, as rain started lightly falling, members of the team visited with people in the crowd to answer any more questions they had. “We’re volunteers, We do it just to spread Masonry and teach people about our culture and heritage.” Craig said. “We just like to spread the word about our culture and disrupt some of the notions that the movies have about what Native American people are.”

Andy Karr is the Newton Daily News editor. He can be reached at 792-3121 ext. 434 or via e-mail at akarr@newtondailynews.com.