Tuscarora land acknowledgement and cultural dances open Raleigh Earth Day program

Cheryl McGlory opened the cultural portion of the Earth Day program with a land acknowledgment, saying "The land we are on today is the ancestral land of many indigenous tribes," and noting Raleigh's place on Tuscarora and Siouan territory.

McGlory introduced David Raheheti Webb of the North Carolina Tuscarora, who led traditional earth songs and a sequence of dances. Webb and performers explained the standing quiver call-and-response dance, invited audience members to join, and presented the Robin dance (a springtime sidestep tradition) with volunteers. The hosts emphasized that the Kanahira Tetre portion was not to be audio- or video-recorded, while the earth songs and dances were described as "publicly shareable."

Performers also explained the cultural meaning behind Escoigne (a women's shuffle tied to the Sky Woman creation story) and demonstrated the men's war dance and the faster, contest-style smoke dance. Throughout the sequence, performers highlighted matrilineal cultural traditions and encouraged respectful audience participation.

The land acknowledgement and cultural performance were presented as part of the program at Dix Park and preceded awards and youth presentations. Organizers asked that attendees respect the recording guidance for portions of the program and to participate in shareable dances when invited.