Noonway! The Mighty Oneida Tribe invited our beautiful Squaws, and Brothers to join our Braves and Princesses this past weekend, in the annual Family Campout! In keeping with this years tradition of perfect weather… there was some RAIN. However, as a Tribe, we proved the old adage… “Get enough Oneida Dads together and mix in some rain and you’ll end up with a tarp big enough to cover a football field! We even had a FIRE under it! The girls and boys all had a ball, and with our new Master Chef Roger cooking the meat… even the wives had a great time! NOONWAY!!!

It is hard to write a short note that captures EVERYTHING that happened in this great weekend for the Oneida Tribe! We got every kind of weather except for snow! Some rain… wind… then the drying sun… a warm afternoon… then a COLD CLEAR night with a billion stars! Our Princesses won the Scavenger Hunt… had a great War Games competition… did 2 Achievements… created valentines cards for mom… went on a swamp buggy ride… saw and learned about a Sheriff helicopter… and saw Glow Stick Dancers perform at a beautiful Tonka Fire! And our Mom’s wonder why we are worn out when we come home! Can’t wait to camp again! NOONWAY! – Chief Silver Crow

Noonway! Our last outing to the island of mystery in the middle of many fields at Roper was another rustic experience. With few accommodations our mighty Seminole tribe rose tall. Fighting both elements and small numbers, the Seminoles showed what makes our tribe so mighty. Under Assistant Chief Laughing Tiger, the Seminoles braved the frosty winds of the winter plain after filling their bellies on Round Tomato Pies and Stromboli as big as Indian’s Foot. While 3 braves slept in their wigwams, the others chose to sleep in their horseless carriage. The spirit of the Seminole tribe was great, coming in second place in the War games and showing the Fox nation how much spirit shines in Seminoles few. We look forward to warmer weather on our next travels to Florida Eco. Until next time…Noonway!

The Great Spirits of the North kept our tribe nice and cool the whole weekend at Roper Island. We were 12 Warriors and 13 Princess strong. We welcomed the mightly electric beaver (chainsaw) that help supply firework for the warmth of the tribe.
Noonway, Chief Little Smoke, Wild Wolf and Tender Heart.

“The Blackfeet Tribe had a very strong showing at the Roper Wilderness property, we were 14 Dads and 16 Princesses strong. It was a great time to bond and cuddle-up with our daughter to stay warm near the fire. It was a frosty weekend. We did finally warm up later in the day with our run to the Scavenger Hunt site and back. Later competed in the friendly War Games, and some Dads did some fishing by the lake. The girls enjoyed lots of dancing, they sure do have a lot of energy and were excited! We continually feed our tummies with all sorts of great food, and plenty of libations, including some hot chocolate and marshmallow smores. Our 1st campout of 2012 was a success, Noonway!”
Crouching Tiger, Chief of the Blackfeet Tribe.

“Noonway! Our Mighty Oneida Tribe was 15 Braves and 20 Princesses strong this weekend at the beautiful and rustic Roper Campsite! Man… this is really camping! Our girls spent most of their time climbing trees and shooting through the air on a tree swing. Crisp clean air…smores at night followed by steamy hot chocolate in morning… and tall crackling campfires! It doesn’t get any better than this! We can’t wait until we camp again!”

Chief Silver Crow

CAYUGA- Wickham Campout

The first campout of the year started with only two returning members and four new recruits.
It was exciting to see the joy in the new young braves as they experienced the program for the first time.

Friday started with some rain but turned into what was to be a beautiful weekend. With a new chef in charge of the food, the Cayuga’s enjoyed everything from pork loin to chicken, corn on the cob & even some potatoes.
As Saturday arrived, the Cayuga’s woke up to a great breakfast which helped claim victory in the Sand Castle Contest later at the beach! The kids had a great time with its complex architecture and fought to the end during the war games. As lunch-time came around, the Cayuga’s showed the other tribes what a real burger should look like. These things were three times larger than anything I’ve ever seen. We later got back to camp and worked on finding and decorating new cue sticks for all the new members. This was really fun as it helped them to jump right in with Tonka.

CAYUGA- Halloween Carnival

The Cayuga tribe showed what they were capable of accomplishing. With many new to the program, they still managed to get everyone involved in order to gather up items for the auction. Not only did every member contribute to the silent auction but also all donated a baked good for the famous cake walk. The dart games were also a success as the lines never seemed to slow down and the booths were the last ones standing as we tried to break down for the night. To make this event even better, the Cayuga’s came with reinforcement. They brought in about seven teenaged volunteers which were immediately put to work. They not only helped to get things ready but also with ticketing, games and all the breakdown and clean up.

CAYUGA- McGregor Smith

Friday night started very quietly as only the Chief and one of its tribe members came to challenge the first cold-front that threatened the sunshine state.
They were able to set up their village on their own and later enjoyed late story time with the infamous “Juicy Burger”.

As Saturday arrived, so did the rest of its tribe. The Cayuga’s once again brought in new faces. It was with great timing as they immediately joined in participation of the scavenger hunt and the mighty war games. Later that day, the Cayuga’s continued to strengthen their tribe. They worked together on improving their skills such as archery as well as target shooting with powerful weapons found. They also took a trip to visit Bill in the Wild (not “Natural Bill” from other campsite) and enjoyed some quiet time on those airplane type boats that can skim along water. After a little rest- the Cayuga’s were once again ready to go. They taught the new young members how to build and extinguish flames, spent time with animal tracking and identification, created a new banner for the campsite along with their hand print and even built totems that will help scare off intruders. These were great achievements for such young to do in one day!

Exhausted from all the hard work, the Cayuga’s took some additional time to serve some delicious skewers for the Nation to judge. Although the contest was tied but ended runner up, they now know they’ve found a chef that will help take them to the top. With Tonka now behind them, as well as the challenge to put it out, the Cayuga’s finally received their ultimate reward. A “red cup” filled with the magic to help them relax and the power to rejuvenate after long sleep.

Hopi- McGregor- Smith

The second Campout of the Season began in fine fashion with the majority of the Hopi Dads and Braves arriving Friday for the evening’s festivities. The evening began with cooking the traditional “Indian Way” by moonlight over open flame. The meal of encased meat relished with vegetables and served over piki bread was expertly prepared by our resident tribal chef. After our stomachs were filled with food and red cup beverages we proceeded to celebrate the birthday of one of our Hopi Dads- Skyhawk. His brave Running Eagle presented birthday cake and cookies to his father, which the tribe also had the privilege to enjoy. The night ended with our braves being tucked into bed and the dads retiring to the gaming table for what would prove to be a raucous round of games. Like a great spirit, the ambiance of the evening, I can assure you, is still hanging in the air above campsite “D”. As the night progressed; the sky grew darker, the crystal specks of distant stars shone bright, and the temperature dipped facilitating a good night’s slumber.

With the rising sun came the dawn of a new day. The fragarant smell of brewed coffee and the sizzle of bacon filled the morning air, satisfying the senses. The completion of breakfast brought the prospect of competing in traditional Indian War Games. The Hopi Tribe proved once again to be tough spirited competitors prevailing victorious. The afternoon saw the Hopi Braves hone their skills on the gun and archery ranges. After the return to camp, Chief Driftwood Stew provided the Braves with a tutorial in Hatchet Use and Safety; needless to say, all of the Hopi Braves were enthralled and itching to put the lesson to practice. The remainder of the afternoon was spent enhancing our camp site towards the goal of winning the Best Campsite Award.

As the sun began to set, the Hopi’s dinner was a Thanksgiving Celebration complete with turkey and all of the traditional trimmings. We celebrated heartily with food, drink, and fellowship. With dinner compelete, it was time to participate in Tonka. Tonka was festive and spirited with a roaring fire to appease the gods; that, like a month prior, had flames dancing towards the heavens. The Hopi Tribe was presented with two awards: War Games Champion and Best Campsite; both graciously accepted.

The Hopi evening ended with a presentation by one one of our Braves, Little Eagle. He gave an oral presentation on our Hopi ancestors. All Hopi Braves participated in the discussion of our ancestors, their culture, and their lives. It was good lesson for all to enjoy and a fitting end to the day.

Sunday arrived quickly, even considering the extra hour of sleep we were granted by the spirits. There was the usual dash to clean the campsite and pack our mechanized wagons for the journey home- so ended the adventure.

We all look forward to the next Hopi Gathering……..

“Hey Dad… we want a BIG FIRE…” This is what we heard in the Oneida Tribe! So at our recent campout at McGregor Smith, our Tonka Flames reached all the way to the moon! This was the perfect backdrop for Tribal Chants and dances… and general celebration! We were proud of our Princesses winning the SPIRIT AWARD… and equally proud of our Dads for winning best breakfast. We welcomed back old friends… and new members as well! Great Weather… and great fun! We can’t wait for the next campout!

The skies were angry that night my friends… but the Mighty Oneida Princesses laughed at the Spirits bringing wind, rain, lightening, flooding… did I mention rain? What many in Central Florida are calling “A Sub Tropical Event”, the girls from Oneida simply called… Camping. Dinner of Fried Chicken and potato salad.. cookie cakes for birthdays… some dancing around the campfire… and then after lights out… it was batten down the hatches! When we finally peaked out of our tents (or Toyotas) at about 6:30 AM, we saw our dining tent sideways in the bushes, and most of us camped in lakes and rivers. But the girls??? They were having a ball hopping around in the “new” water! Although we had to cut the weekend short… THIS campout will be one that grows in legend… a campout Daughters and Dads will remember! NOONWAY!