Today we’d like to introduce you to Melisa Aleman
Melisa , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Soaring Eagles was established in 2008 under the San Diego Unified School District Indian Education Program, directed by Vickie Gambala and other community members, and is now led by her granddaughter, Melisa Aleman.
When starting up, this program was to bring urban Native American families together to learn powwow dance and protocol; this allowed students and families to engage in powwows, ceremonies, and gatherings through San Diego and the United States to get to know one another and find a place of belonging while living in urban San Diego. Throughout this time, Soaring Eagles traveled to many powwows and also have been invited to dance at many conferences and school assemblies, and even open up for a few celebrities such as the Dali Lama in 2011 at SDSU and Pyte DeSpain 1st, winner of Gordon Ramsey Next level Chef.
Soaring Eagles is dedicated to educating American Indian families about the tradition of Native American Powwow dance. We share our cultural dance and traditional regalia to educate audiences across the United States. Our goal is to preserve Native traditions through educating Native American families.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Overall, yes, it has been a smooth road for the dance group. Even during the pandemic, we found a way for the families to get together virtually by having a virtual dance class through Zoom and Facebook Live. It was a great way to keep in touch while most of us couldn’t be around each other. It brought happiness to the little community we have.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our work as a Native American Powwow dance group is to bring awareness to those who might now have much knowledge of the Native American culture. We show our culture through dance, and the styles represent something different, such as where the dancer’s tribe is from. Each and every one of our dancers practices hours on their footwork and regalia. Regalia is the outfit the dancer wears, it represents who they are and their family’s clan or tribe. Families play a big part in our younger dancers, helping them understand why they dance and how beautiful it is to share their culture with others. We teach the importance of our dance and what each dance style is, starting at a young age and going all the way to the elders. All ages are welcome, and the proper powwow protocol is taught in our dance classes.
How do you think about luck?
Each of our dancers is lucky to have mentors who have walked the same path as they are or have. We’ve been lucky enough to have the elders still be part of the dance group, and everyone looks after one another. We are lucky to be a family unit within the San Diego Urban Native Community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soaring.eagles.sandiego?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/883521415340364/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@soaringeaglessandiego?_t=8oGlp1tDe1P&_r=1
