Wahissa Lodge 118 FeatherFest Indian Affairs Training Event 2007-2013
Wahissa Lodge 118 has a rich history when it comes to Indian affairs. The lodge has produced 7 National Drum Team Champions and 5 individual National dance champions. This particular training weekend was started in honor of the passing of Joshua Matthew Davis.
Joshua Matthew Davis
DAVIS Mr. Joshua Matthew Davis, 22, of Swan Creek Road, passed away Thursday, May 10, 2007 at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Mr. Davis was born July 31, 1984 in Surry County to Ricky Davis and Rosa C. Carter. Josh was of the Christian faith and was a student at Surry Community College and worked at Foothills Antiques. He was an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troup 654 and was a vigil member of Order of Arrow. He was a Native American Straight Dancer and was accomplished in Indian crafts
The event was held in the fall from 2007-2013. Each year a patch was produced for attendees and every year a straight dancer resembling Josh Davis was included in the design.
The original design was a two sided patch with Josh on the front wearing his straight dance suit and on the back a simple design that had deeper meaning. Josh was very talented in crafting Native American beadwork. The design found on the back of the two-sided patches was a beadwork design he used while making rosettes. Josh was known to make these rosettes and give them away to people that had an impact on his life in some way.
The first event held in 2007, most people don’t realize a patch was never issued. The event was held not long after Josh’s passing and a patch design and order was never placed before the event happened. In the planning of the 2nd Featherfest event, the first event patch was ordered and was handed out to the people who participated in the 1st Featherfest. Only 100 of the 1st annual Josh Davis Memorial Featherfest patches were made based on the records from that first event. Around 300 event patches were created for 2008-2012 and only 200 were made for the 2013 event.
Wahissa lodge will be conducting its Indian Affairs training differently in 2014. Instead of the one Featherfest event, the lodge will conduct smaller trainings throughout the year at each of the regular fellowships. So for now the Josh Davis Memorial Featherfest event patches will be from 2007-2013.
Contributed by Lodge Editor Matt White
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