GROUP WILL END LOCAL POWWOW; SPONSOR TO REDIRECT EFFORT INTO EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Daily News Staff Writer

An annual American Indian powwow, usually held in mid-July in Moorpark, has come to an end, as organizers focus on establishing a new outdoor school that would re-create traditional Indian lifestyles.

In American Indian cultures the number four signifies the completion of a cycle, and organizers said that after four years of hosting the popular community event it was time to return to educational pursuits.

``Though it was very successful, a lot of fun and brought us a lot of friends, it actually took us away from the educational mission,'' said Corina Roberts, founder of Redbird, the Moorpark-based cultural group that sponsored the annual event. ``We'd done our thing, probably more than we expected. . . . We'd gone through our cycle.''

A new board of directors at Redbird is hoping to create a wilderness education center where students would visit for a weekend or longer to live in tepees and learn about traditional Indian lifestyles.

The school is the formative stages, but organizers hope that within a few months it will be up and running, enrolling its first students for hands-on classes in a traditional, 19th-century setting.

``It's an extension of the sole purpose of Redbird,'' said board member Randall Hogue, who is organizing plans for the new school. But he added, he was sad to see the powwow come to an end.

``I was a little disappointed we can't have it,'' he said.

The popular Children of Many Colors Powwow started by chance in 1994 when the group was asked to chip in at an annual jamboree sponsored by the Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program in Moorpark.

The powwow became an instant crowd pleaser, drawing more than 5,000 visitors the second year and forcing some to be turned away because there was no room, organizers said. For the past two summers, the event has been held at Moorpark College.

But Roberts said preparation for the annual event took Redbird members away from their goal as an educational and awareness-building organization in the American Indian community. Plus, she said the event was not bringing in enough money to fund projects; the nonprofit group supports various organizations and distributes annual college scholarships for high school seniors.

The 1997 powwow cost about $12,000, but netted $1,000, organizers said. The group donated proceeds from the final event to the H.E.L.P. organization.

``We're very thankful,'' said Pete Peters, who founded H.E.L.P., which offers weekend horse rides for children with disabilities on the 50-acre ranch.

Though organizers and patrons were sad to see the popular powwow come to a close, they were also looking forward to the new school and the resources it could bring to Indians and others interested in the historic Indian experience.

``It's the same philosophy,'' Roberts said. ``It's just going to be put into action in a different kind of way.''