Hardeeville to host Native American festival this weekend

The city of Hardeeville will host a two-day festival this weekend to celebrate and spread awareness of South Carolina's native people.

The Lowcountry Native American Powwow, in its ninth year, will feature American Indian dancers, vendors, storytellers, artists and musicians at Millstone Landing along the Savannah River on Saturday and Sunday, organizer Mike Benton said.

Benton, a patrol officer with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office whose family is of native ancestry, has organized the event each year since he began it in 2000.

A host of American Indian tribes, including the Edisto and Santee, which inhabited the Lowcountry for centuries, will be represented. The event is expected to draw more than 2,000 spectators, Benton said.

"We want to bring Native American culture back to the Lowcountry," he said.

Tribes from all along the East Coast are expected to come to the powwow, a family-friendly event, Benton said.

"It's for anyone who is curious about the culture," he said. "You will learn something."