MCALISTERVILLE — When Patrick “Little Wolf” Brooks steps onto the field at the America250PA celebration on Saturday, he brings with him generations of memory, music and movement of a nation.

His performance is part cultural demonstration, part history lesson and part invitation for the public to understand Native people beyond the stereotypes that have shaped American pop culture for decades.

He is scheduled to appear at McAlisterville Park in McAlisterville for the America250PA — Juniata County Celebration, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. The event will be held rain or shine.

Brooks, part of the Tuscarora Nation of Iroquois Confederacy, and his group will teach attendees about their traditions, dances and songs from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the field. As we remember that the Tuscarora and Oneida fought alongside the American Patriots.

Brooks grew up on a reservation in upstate New York. He is part of the Iroquois Confederacy, which he describes as including Tuscarora, Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca and other Haudenosaunee nations. He comes from a long line of cultural carriers, calling himself a sixth-generation flute player and an eighth-generation storyteller. For more than 35 years, he has taught Native history in schools and community programs.

“Education is such a big deal,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know about Native history, don’t know about Native culture.”

His performance in McAlisterville will include traditional flute music, dancing and explanations of the cultural practices behind them. Brooks said he plans to share songs and dances from the Iroquois tradition and involve the audience in some of the movements.

“We’re going to get the crowd involved,” he said. “Allow them to try out some of our dances.”

Brooks said many people have grown up with inaccurate images of Native people, shaped by old Westerns and characters like the Lone Ranger and Tonto. He often hears comments such as “You don’t look Native American to me,” which he uses as a teaching moment.

He explains that East Coast tribes look different from the Plains tribes commonly shown in movies. Tuscarora people lived in longhouses, not teepees. They farmed crops like the Three Sisters — corn, beans and squash — and did not hunt buffalo, which shaped everything from their daily life to their appearance.

“We don’t all look alike, we don’t all sound alike,” he said. “We’re not like the Native people they show on TV.”

Brooks is also a 12-year United States Army combat veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that experience deepened his understanding of the freedoms his ancestors were once denied. For generations, Native people were not allowed to gather publicly, practice ceremonies or speak openly about their heritage. Many families were taught to stay quiet.

“Our grandparents were taught they could not talk about their heritage,” he said. “Heritage was lost because of that.”

He said his work now is about restoring what was silenced.

Brooks and his wife, Ashleigh, run Five Feather Productions, which he describes as an education-first cultural group. “We’re more of an educating company than an entertaining company,” he said. “Entertaining while doing what we do is a bonus. You walk away from our program and you learn something new. That’s my goal.”

While Brooks performs, Ashleigh will operate their food truck, Five Feathers Fry Bread, offering fry bread tacos, buffalo chili, salmon bites, fried pickles, lemonade and sage tea. Brooks said the menu reflects foods connected to Indigenous traditions, including fry bread and Wojapi, a berry sauce.

“We want to give people a taste of what Indigenous people ate,” he said.

Brooks encourages visitors to ask questions during the event. He said many people have never had the chance to speak directly with a Native educator and that the America250PA celebration offers a rare opportunity.

“It’s a learning opportunity you can’t get anywhere else,” Brooks shared. Brooks said the message he hopes people take home is simple: Native people are still here, still practicing their traditions and still part of the American story.

“We still practice traditional ways,” he added. “We just have to blend in with everyone else. But we’re still here.”

For more information about the schedule of events for Saturday, visit www.juniatacountyhistoricalsociety.org/a250pa/