Hanceville resident Brian Wood spent five years learning to chip away at various types of stones.

Today, he is regarded by most as a master in the craft of knapping, the art of making stone tools, arrowheads and spearheads in the same manner early American Indians did.

Part Creek and Cherokee Indian, Wood says his interest in the craft started when he was a child searching for arrowheads in the freshly plowed fields at his family farm. Eventually, it lead him to attend school at the Moundsville Archaeological Society to perfect his technique.

“This may sound strange, but it’s something that’s inside me motivating me to do this,” he said. “It gives you respect for the Indians who came before us and what they went through just to survive.”

For Wood and many other supporters of the American Indian movement, Saturday was a time to cherish ancient traditions, reunite with old friends and meet new people. The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama hosted its 11th annual powwow Saturday at Sportsman Lake Park in Cullman.

Wood was one of many craftsman, artists, musicians and dancers attracted to the two-day event, which opens today at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.

“This is a way for us to share our culture. It’s like a family reunion. We gather to thank the creator for all of the blessings he has given us this year,” said tribal Chief Charlotte Hallmark.

Festivities Saturday included historic tribal dances, flute playing, drumming, singing and storytelling. They also included a number of vendors, selling authentic American Indian crafts, tools and food. Some gave demonstrations of their wares.

“I play what I feel, and that’s the only way to play,” said flute maker Frank Standing Eagle Taylor before giving a demonstration.

According to Taylor, while early American Indians were musically inclined, they did not read notes, playing totally by feel.

“There’s no two flutes alike in the world,” said his wife, Brenda. “Even if they were tuned the same and made of the same wood, they would still have their own voice.”

As a special guest to the powwow, actor Larry Sellers also made an appearance. He is best known for his role as Chief Running Cloud in the series Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. He has also appeared in a number of other Hollywood films and television shows.

“I’m a survivor of a nation the U.S. government attempted to wipe out,” he said of his Lakota ancestry. “This day belongs to our ancestors. It belongs to our grandmothers and our grandfathers.”