Don't Forget the Spirit that Settled the West

BY BILL BLANKENSHIP
Created June 27, 2010 at 5:52pm
Updated June 27, 2010 at 10:58pm
MANHATTAN — One expects to see a sea of cowboys — or at least lots of wrangler wannabes — at the Country Stampede, but there was one Indian on stage to entertain them on closing day.

Dennis Rogers, a Navajo from Topeka where he has worked for years as a Native American educator, performed traditional dances Sunday afternoon in the first set on the Tuttleville stage at the Stampede at Tuttleville Creek State Park north of Manhattan.

"What's a real country event without Native Americans?" said Rogers, who was dressed in his traditional regalia. "When you talk about Kansas and the history of Kansas, it just seemed fitting to have a Native American event here at the Stampede."

Rogers said he was performing at the invitation of the Golden Eagle Casino, run by the Kickapoo Tribe west of Horton. The casino signed on this year as a major sponsor of the 15th annual edition of the country music festival, which began Thursday.

"We're real honored to be here to represent Golden Eagle Casino. We just want to represent all Native Americans in Kansas," said Rogers, who is the first solo Native American act at the Stampede.

However, Rogers isn't the first Indian entertainer at Stampede. Williams & Ree, a comedy duo who bill themselves as "The Indian and the White Guy," have twice performed on the Stampede main stage.

While Rogers was making his Country Stampede debut, he is no stranger to country music events or entertainers.

Rogers has been on the road with the country act BlackHawk to help it perform its song "SpiritDancer," which is dedicated to the memory of band co-founder Van Stephenson. Rogers also has opened for and performed with John Anderson, including creating choreography for his single, "Seminole Wind." Rogers did both of those dances at the Stampede.

Rogers also has on his performance resume five Farm Aid festivals with Willie Nelson and Neil Young.

Rogers said his path to performing across the country and around the world got started as director of Indian education for Topeka Unified School District 501 where he taught children aspects of their native culture.

"With native children, they need that encouragement to get up and dance, and I thought, 'I need to lead by example,' " he said.

His education efforts continued at the Stampede where he explained to spectators the origins and significance of each dance he did. Rogers also brought along singers Ross Cooper, a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and Ron Brave, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe.

Rogers dubbed his Country Stampede set "native country." He also noted Sunday was a bit cooler than the prior two blazing hot days at the event.

"I'd like to say I have the Spirit with me," he said. "We brought in that cool breeze a few minutes ago, and we had a few raindrops. We're taking that as a good sign we're going to have a good performance."

Bill Blankenship can be reached at (785) 295-1284 or bill.blankenship@cjonline.com.