NEWKIRK — The Otoe-Missouria Winter Encampment dance will be held on Saturday in Newkirk. The event starts at 1 p.m. with gourd dancing and dinner will be served at 5 p.m. The grand entry is at 7 p.m.

Heather Payne from the Otoe-Missouria Public Affairs Office said although removed to Indian Territory in the late 1800s, the Otoe-Missouria Tribe are originally woodland tribes with century-old ties to their relatives of the Ho-Chunk and Winnebago.

“The three tribes are related to each other in custom, culture and language, but separated from each other over the centuries before being confined to different reservations in Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Nebraska in the middle of the 19th century,” said Payne.

“This is the third year, both the HoChunks and the Winnebagos are coming to our Winter Encampment,” said Otoe-Missouria Encampment Committee Chairman Donnie Childs. “It feels good to know that after a century of separation that we are starting to mend that bond again. To building that relationship and fellowship with each other.”

In addition, the Kiowa Gourd Clan are invited guests at the dance. The Kiowa Tribe gave the Gourd Dance to the Otoe-Missouria people in the 1920’s shortly before the dance became extinct. When the dance was revived by the Kiowas in the 1950’s the Otoe-Missouria Tribe again started dancing as well.

The event will be held at the First Council Casino Event Center north of Newkirk. Additional information can be found by visiting www.omtribe.org.

The encampment staff will include chairman John Shotton and Frank Carson, master of ceremonies, Roy Childs, head gourd dancer, AJ Leading Fox, head man dancer, Vivian Cordrey, head lady dancer, Kennetha Butler, 2019 Princess, Mike Hudson and Nolan Grant, arena directors and Derek Bible and Alec Kent, water boys. Co-hosts of the event will be Red Rock Creek.