MILLSBORO, De. - To a non-native, even Native American clothing, known as regalia may need explaining.
"We're not wearing it to make us look cool, we're wearing it to honor the animal it came from," said Dawn Manyfeathers, an associate member of the Nanticoke Tribe.
Chief Natosha Norwood Carmine is the first and only female Chief of the Nanticoke Tribe.
The Nanticoke Tribe is the largest Native American tribe on the Delmarva Peninsula.
The tribe is 2,000 members strong, with roughly half of those on the peninsula.
Carmine says Native American Heritage Month is a great time to teach the general public about the Nanticoke people's culture.
"It's a way we can share with the public what Native American culture is like. We celebrate our culture, our traditions," she said.
Manyfeathers says she is seen as a grandmother by the tribe due to her wisdom and stature.
"For us to live, it's important to be seen, and that's what Native American month is. Us being seen, us being acknowledged that we are still here and that we are definitely not going anywhere," she said.
Chief Carmine said it's not just about teaching the culture, but also preserving it.
A new Maryland State Archive online tool to search Native American history is seen by Carmine as a positive step toward that preservation.
"Our stories are mostly orally told, and if you don't capture it in video or on paper, you might miss it," she said.
The Nanticoke Tribe will hold a Pow Wow at their Museum on John J. Williams Highway in Millsboro on Saturday. The public is invited and it is free to attend.