Family’s regalia stolen after Gathering of Nations

By Sasha Lenninger

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — More than 2,000 tribes and groups from across the country were in Albuquerque over the weekend for the 2022 Gathering of Nations.

Many families brought their regalia with them for the biggest powwow in North America.

But one Wisconsin family is heading home empty-handed after their regalia was stolen Sunday.

For many Native American families, the Gathering of Nations is something they look forward to every year, especially after the event was postponed for the last two years due to the pandemic.

For Josephine Webster’s son, Ambrose Silas, the Gathering was a dream for him.

“We originally came here because my son was waiting for a kidney donor and his Make-A-Wish was to come to Gathering of Nations,” Webster said. “When COVID happened, he wasn’t able to come, and, since then, he got a kidney and still wanted to come. So, we decided to pack up and come down here for that, to honor his wishes because he loves to dance and sing.”

So, Ambrose, his brother Floyd, their mom and aunt packed up a car and left Oneida, Wisconsin, and drove 23 hours to Albuquerque. The family told KOAT they were staying at the La Quinta Inn on Iliff Road in Northwest Albuquerque.

“They came in after the powwow was over and they went back out after a couple of hours to go grab their stuff, and it was already gone,” Webster said. “The window was broken, everything was gone, everything but one set of eagle feathers. But other than that all the bags were gone from the car.”

Floyd’s regalia was gone, along with the regalia of his two friends, Silas Whitebuffalo and DJ Scott.

“You work your whole life, things have been passed down from generation to generation and it’s irreplaceable,” Webster said. “This is such a huge part of my children’s lives and their friends’ lives. It’s not just a weekend celebration, it’s a whole way of life.”

Webster told KOAT, her family comes from a small town and leaving things in their car for a couple of hours is usually is fine.

“We hold them so sacred, and it was a mistake, obviously. They should have brought them in right away,” Webster said.

These are photos of the regalia that was stolen.

“There were two sets of eagle bustle, that were fancy dance bustles. So it’s a top bustles and a bottom bustle and then one traditional bustle, an eagle bustle, which is just one bustle and all their beadwork,” Webster said. “Their roaches were stolen, which is like their headpiece and then the feathers that go on the roaches.”

Webster took to social media, hoping someone sees their regalia. She also filed a police report.

“Everything happens for a reason. We are going to pray for the people that stole this, we are going to pray that we get the outfits back and if we don’t we move on. We don’t hold no animosity towards anybody because that’s not the kind of people we are,” Webster said.

The family is now back in Wisconsin, but Webster plans to come back to Albuquerque if the regalia is found.

Anyone with information is asked to call (505) 242-COPS.

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