POWWOW BRINGS LORE TO COLLEGE; SONG, DANCE SALUTE CULTURE.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

Tepee lodges, drumming and dancing transformed the firm, green grass that is home to the Moorpark College softball program into a tribal encampment Saturday.

Hundreds of families and guests and far more interested spectators turned out for the annual event that continues to grow in popularity. After two years on a Moorpark horse ranch, the Children of Many Colors Powwow was moved to the college last year and this weekend's event is even bigger, organizers said.

Taking in only his third powwow, Steve Schellert didn't wait long to join the fun. The Sylmar teen-ager, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, walked into the dance circle for an intertribal dance.

``You can go out there any time,'' he said with a smile.

Tracing his mother Armida Saldana's ancestry to the Apache, Schellert said he planned to travel to more powwows to learn more about and celebrate his heritage. ``The energy feels good. It's like going to church with your friends.''

The powwow, which continues today, indeed is a comfortable gathering. Admission is free and the uninitiated are encouraged to ask lots of questions.

Colorful traditional clothing, singing and dancing, and a variety of artisans offered plenty at which to marvel.

Beginning with a blessing of the circle where the dancing and singing is staged, the powwow then featured a presentation of dozens of colorful tribal flags. Men and women formed a semicircle with the flags and stood for a prayer song, the sun shining on their traditional leather clothing adorned with beads, feathers, silver and other fancy items.

Master of ceremonies Michael Burgess, a Comanche and Kiowa now living in Pasadena, noted the powwow's spiritual nature.

``This is the way our people have always connected,'' he explained. ``We don't need a church. The whole land has been our church for centuries.''

With the scent of burning sage wafting through the air despite a cooling breeze, the atmosphere was both calming and festive.

Beyond the circle, which was ringed with canopies providing shade for families, artisans and a handful of nonprofit organizations presented their wares and causes.

Jake and Yvonne Knutson sold jewelry, beadwork and precious stones and quartz to a steady stream of interested patrons. The Ventura couple have come to each of the Moorpark powwows.

``It's nice, almost like a family gathering,'' Jake Knutson said.

Redbird sponsors the powwow. Formed five years ago, the Simi Valley organization provides information about indigenous people of the Americas.

Organizers said the powwow primarily aims to raise money for children's charities. By midday on Saturday, dollar bills were beginning to fill a large water jug sitting on a chair labeled for a scholarship fund and American Indian charities, as well as other jars and boxes.

``I love all powwows, but I love this one especially because it's for the children,'' said Tonya Littlewolf Carloni, who operates Wolf Mountain Sanctuary in Lucerne Valley.

A member of the Apache tribal group, Littlewolf Carloni said she began rescuing wolves 13 years ago after recalling the ``wolf moon'' legend her grandfather passed on when she was growing up on the San Carlos Reservation near Prescott, Ariz. She spreads the word at powwows and raises money through donations to care for the dozen or so wolves at her sanctuary.

``The wolf is part of our life,'' she said, referring to the tribal gathering. ``We try to do at least three a month and then one weekend is free for people to come and visit.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1-2--color in SIMI and CONEJO editions only) Nancy Nelson of Moorpark, above, looks at a sun catcher American Indian ornament at the Children of Many Colors Powwow. Left, Harold Caldwell prepares his feathered bustle before a ceremony at the annual event at Moorpark College on Saturday. The powwow primarily aims to raise money for children's charities.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News