"Just relax on Indian time and have a good time."

Thus the seventh annual powwow at Ontelaunee Park, Lynn Township, was opened May 18 by Chuck Gentlemon Demund of the First Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania.

As master of ceremonies, he introduced the various drums that would be playing.

He said the first three songs would be for the grand opening, a flag song and one to honor veterans of all eras and all nations.

Veterans and their families were not required to have regalia and were welcome to participate.

"Throughout history many men and women have fought for their beliefs and gave us freedom of speech and argument to express what we want," he said. "We are able to speak our own different languages, do the work we want and live where we want."

"Numerically 77, 300 people died in the Revolution; 620,000 in the Civil War; 116,000 in World War I; 405,000 in World War II; 30,000 in Korea and 58,000 in Vietnam."

"Of those in Vietnam, there were 960 who were corpsman trying to save lives."

"In the Gulf War, there were 378 deaths and 4,101 in Iraq. Those not on the list were fortunate but were willing to die for their beliefs," he stated. "It was an intertribal pow wow which includes all tribes."

The drums each played a warm-up song beginning with Midnight Elk and followed by Red Heart, One Heart, the Rosebud Singers and a woman's group, the Eagle Thunder.

Barbara Smith from Bangor said her family loves the Indian culture and this was the first time they were able to attend a powwow.

She said everyone is very friendly. With Smith were her great-grandchildren Jace and Jewells.

Demund said they had a long Saturday finishing up at 10 p.m. and then telling stories until after midnight.

Up on the hill was a reenactment camp from the colonial period.

People were invited to go up and ask questions.

The dancing was eastern style which means counter clockwise, though others were able to dance clockwise if they wished.

There were flags from all military branches, the POW-MIA flag, one from the Blackfeet Nation, and one recognizing the importance of Sept. 11, 2001, with a view of the New York skyline that included the Twin Towers in the field of blue.

Eagle Thunder performed the flag song which, after the opening, was sung without the drums.

The colors were posted around the end of the dance circle.

The first verse of Amazing Grace was led by Elk Spirit Bass as the audience was invited to sing along.

Demund said a prayer in Lenape and asked others to follow along in thought.

"Everything begins and ends with the Creator," he said.

Elk Spirit Bass was the lead man. Diane Hummingbird was the lead woman. The two led the dances and helped youth learn the protocol of a powwow.

Todd Messer said he danced at President Barack Obama's second inauguration.

Four years ago, he moved to Morrisville from Southern Indiana.

Messer makes his own regalia and attends as many powwows as possible.

Part of the proceeds from the powwow will go toward a women's breast cancer organization, TDI, that recommends non-invasive health screenings.