Napavine is proving to be more than just a bedroom community for the Twin Cities.
The town of the Tigers has a growing school district. Business is booming off the Rush Road Interstate 5 exit.
But the Napavine City Council is worried the city’s annual festival isn’t up to par with other cities in Lewis County.
On Tuesday, after more than 20 minutes of lively discussion, the council voted three to two, passing a resolution to “oversee” the Funtime Festival, which has seen controversy from some members of the Cowlitz and Chehalis tribes over its Native American-ish “Princess Napawinah.” (Read more on that here: https://www.chronline.com/stories/playing-indian-napavine-festivals-princess-napawinah-draws-critique,321823)
With the city stepping in, it appears that Napawinah is no more.
The council will host a workshop at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12 to plan movement forward on the festival and possibly appoint volunteers to board positions.
The resolution was proposed by Webster, who said the controversial Native American theme of the festival has “got to go.” He also cited a lack of participation from other community festival princesses and overall shrinking involvement in the festival from residents.
“I think it’s our duty to step up and make sure that we are as good as the other guy,” Mayor Shawn O’Neill said in a Tuesday night council meeting. “And I’m talking about Toledo. ‘Cause Cheese Days is awesome.”
Napavine’s Funtime Festival takes place on the second Saturday in July. Two of the festival’s founders, Jerry and Eileen Owens, have kept it going for the last five decades. This year was the 50th anniversary.
Every previous year, a 13- to 15-year-old girl was chosen to play the role of “Princess Napawinah,” the festival’s star. She was dressed in a Native American-esque costume, with a headdress of feathers, braids, a beaded, faux-leather dress and a sash that states her title, and rode on a float with fake totem poles or a teepee.
Nobody signed up to be the princess this year.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s spiritual leader, Tanna Engdahl, referred to the tradition as “playing Indian,” in a previous communication with The Chronicle and said, “I’m sad this is a tradition for the city. Many tribes around the country have struggled with this kind of stereotyping.”
One member of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation this year started a petition to end the Napawinah tradition.
When The Chronicle interviewed Eileen Owens for a story on the opposition to Princess Napawinah in early July, she said it was the first time she’d heard negative comments about the tradition. Neither Eileen nor Jerry Owens were present at Tuesday’s meeting, though O’Neill said they were asked to be.
“We’ve heard the people that run it say that there’s not support, and I’ve heard from the other side that says it’s hard to support them,” O’Neill said. “I think it’s our due diligence to step in for the citizens. Because that’s what we’re here for, right? … And this is the first of many discussions.”
In July, the city banned Funtime Festival signs on city property that had a tomahawk-holding Indian caricature. Conversation around the Native American themes on Tuesday night was brief, however.
“Two years in a row now, we’ve been crucified in the paper, basically,” Webster said. “Because of the Native American aspect of it.”
Webster added, “No offense, Brian” to Councilor Brian Watson, who heads the advertising department for CT Publishing, which owns The Chronicle.
Webster later said the theme needed to be changed. Otherwise, the councilors spent the time discussing how oversight of the festival would work.
Councilor Ivan Wiediger joined over Zoom after the start of the meeting and had been excused by a vote from the other councilors. He, Mayor Pro-Tem Duane Crouse and Councilor Heather Stewart each said they were supportive of the move, but had concerns over its legality.
With the latter two voting against the resolution and Councilors Don Webster and Brian Watson in favor, the mayor was allowed to cast a tie vote.
O’Neill noted that the city allows the festival a permit every year for the parade and other events.
“From here on out, the message is clear: ‘You’re not going to get it unless the council approves of it,’” he said. “And that just means that instead of us just saying, ‘Yes,’ … We’re going to put more effort into it and we’re going to make sure that we check your budget, we’re going to check your insurance, we’re going to check your numbers. And we’re actually going to play a part.”
