Davis speaks at pow wow

Paul Clinton

California’s first lady Saturday made a Native American pow wow at

the Orange County Fairgrounds the latest stop along the campaign

trail for her husband’s reelection campaign.

Sharon Davis, the wife of Gov. Gray Davis, praised the event as a

positive display of Native American culture and said Southern

California was the perfect place for it.

“I can’t think of a better place to have this pow wow,” Davis

said. “This state is home to more American Indians than any other

state and many are right here in Southern California.”

The Southern California Indian Center, a community group that

promotes the causes of Indians, organized the event with the

cooperation of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California.

The chamber holds an annual pow wow, now in its 34th year, in the

country. This year, they chose the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

“Besides bringing an ear to our state governor, she’s involved

with our children,” Center Executive Director Paula Starr said,

pointing to the first lady’s volunteer work with children’s

organizations.

Starr said Davis has been a supporter of issues important to

Indians: teen delinquency, alcohol and drug addiction and suicide.

“These are issues we need to bring to our governor, so he can make

positive change,” Starr said.

Reading from a letter she said the governor handed her, the

state’s first lady said her husband realizes “how important Indians

were to this state [in its history].”

After her remarks, center leaders presented Davis with her own

Indian blanket. After the presentation, Davis joined in a cultural

dance, set to “a beautiful song from Oklahoma,” an announcer said

over the crackling loudspeaker.

Davis, who owns a Los Angeles home with her husband, was in

Southern California for a four-day stretch. She has spent a lot of

time in Orange County and has even found a few Democrats, she said,

with an ear-to-ear smile.

“If I get down here much more often, I’m going to have to register

to vote in Orange County,” Davis joked. “You’ve managed to get some

Democrats elected down here.”

She ticked off a list, even if it was a short one: Congresswoman

Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), State Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Garden

Grove) and Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana).

Davis’ visit came one day after President George Bush traveled to

the county to endorse and raise money for Republican candidate for

governor Bill Simon.

During the pow wow, cultural songs and dance took center stage.

Groups of Indians in brightly colored outfits, complemented with

feathers, pranced in a fairground arena as they brought to life

displays of their heritage.