Photos & Video of Event Honoring Kossack Carter Camp in White Eagle, Oklahoma

Last Saturday I announced I was in Oklahoma to attend a special Ponca dance to honor Kossack Carter Camp aka cacamp for his role in the Wounded Knee take over 40 years ago. As promised, here are photos and video from that terrific event.

We gathered at the Ponca Cultural Center in White Eagle, OK. The event started with traditional gourd dancing, this is a 60 second video just to give you a taste:

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I was welcomed by Carter’s family as we were waiting for him to arrive.

Casey Camp-Horinek and I think, her husband. Casey is Carter’s younger sister, she’s an actress and activist. She organized this event and directed it during the day and evening. With more than 200 in attendance you can imagine how much work that involved. She hardly sat down. When Carter arrived I told him Casey had been taking care of me and he said, “Isn’t she something!” He loves her.

I was also welcomed by Duane Camp, Carter’s younger brother, who was at Wounded Knee.

A close-up of Duane Camp’s sash

Carter’s sons were there, Kenneth there on the left helped me set up my chair next to the family and caught me up on all the details unfolding around me

This is Bear aka Sugar Bear, I was sitting near him. He was very friendly and brought me water. He made sure I was okay for the 9 hours I was there. He’s a Wounded Knee vet, his photo is here from ’73.

Speaking of old photos, Casey put on display her collection of Carter’s photos from Wounded Knee 73′:

Carter led Military Operations for the take over of Wounded Knee

MANY MORE PHOTOS BELOW!

Dennis Banks was there, here he asked to read Carter’s essay I mounted as a gift for Carter. Dennis said he’s never read it before.

Carter arrives!

Carter holds court the rest of the night

Carter signs a patch on an AIM blanket

All the attending Wounded Knee vets signed, the blanket was later presented to Carter

Casey had a special song created just for this event, one to honor all her brothers as Wounded Knee vets. Here they are listening to the song.

After that an honor dance:

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(vid is 5:55 minutes)

My new friend, Glenda Sue Deer took this photo of me presenting Aji & Wings’s jewelry gifts to him. (h/t mimi)

Carter holds his new silver bracelet up for all to see, the one made by Wings

Carter then publicly thanked Native American Netroots. He said, “What you’re doing is the next wave of Indian activism. Technology is now connecting us all and we can be stronger. When you started NAN at Dkos there was nothing for a long time. Now, look what you’ve built. Thank you for telling our stories and getting our words out there to educate the public about our causes.” (paraphrased)