Each summer, thousands of Native American peoples across the country celebrate their connections to tradition and spirituality, to the Earth and to one another, in a social, personal and spiritual meeting: the PowWow. For many, these gatherings are an integral component of the Native American existence. More than an homage to a great ancestry, the Powwow is an event of contemporary significance for the individuals and communities making up the hundreds of Native American nations.

In an attempt to capture the beauty, excitement and cultural importance of these events, KTCA produced..."Wacipi PowWow".

Working in close collaboration with Native American scholars and tribal leaders, Senior Producer Barbara Wiener and the production team chronicled a major PowWow held in Minnesota in the summer of 1994, The Mdewankanton Dakota Community PowWow in Shakopee.

A SIGNIFICANT GATHERING
The PowWow is an American Indian gathering focusing on dance, song and family celebration. Traditionally, it is a celebration presented by one tribe or band to welcome and honor others. PowWows are usually three day weekend events and people may travel great distances to attend. The main PowWow season is summer (traditionally beginning with a PowWow in March in Denver), however there has been a resurgence of PowWows in the last decade, making it possible to attend a Powwow every weekend year round in North America. All people (including non-Indian people) are welcome at PowWows and are encouraged to attend one, as experiencing a PowWow can be a valuable and fascinating cultural experience for non-Indian people unfamiliar with our neighbors, the Indian people.

There are several different kinds of PowWows, though the two most common are known as traditional and competition PowWows, respectively. In traditional Powwows everyone who participates in the dance or singing programs is awarded day money. While there is still a degree of competition in the dancing events, it is somewhat informal and ceremonies such as honorings, giveaways, "first" dances and adoptions are also important activities of the day. A competition PowWow, on the other hand, has significant prize money available for the dancers, depending upon the resources available to the individual host tribe. While everyone can still compete and dance, only the dancers who place near the top of the competition receive prize money. Drum groups also compete for prize money.

The PowWow is organized by the PowWow committee, a dedicated group of members of the host tribe. Their work involves the bringing together of the drums, dancers, entertainment, food, crafts booths, and the administration of the PowWow grounds (parking, registration, camping, sanitation, sound system, and security). Once the PowWow begins, it is run by the Master of Ceremonies (MC) and Arena Directors. Different MCs have different styles and the choice of an MC greatly influences the feel of the PowWow. The MCs provide a running commentary of events, announcements, and most importantly background information about the dances, rituals and spirit of the PowWow. Instilling appropriate humor into the proceedings is also the work of the MC. The Arena Directors keep the event moving and manage the flow of activity in the arena. At any one time, they may be telling the drums who will play next and what kind of song to have ready, seeing to the accommodations of the judges, or organizing the dancers. It is an extremely active and important job.

Judges are changed for each category and are chosen for their knowledge of the dance style and drum. They judge dancers on their style and form, regalia and ability to stay in time with the drum and stop on the final beat.

THE GRAND ENTRY
The PowWow begins with the Grand Entry. All spectators are asked to rise as the flags and eagle staffs of the host and visiting tribes are brought in. The Eagle staffs and flags represent nations, families, and communities. As the drums begin a grand en try song, the chief or tribal chair of the host tribe and visiting dignitaries enter the arena. They are followed by other honored members and the color guard of veterans. Elected royalty (princesses, warriors, etc.), young people who have been chosen and honored by their specific home community to represent that community at PowWows around the country, follow next. Led by the elders, the men dancers follow next, generally in the following order: men's traditional dancers, men's grass dancers and then men's fancy dancers. Then the women enter, also led by the elder women and in the order of women's traditional dancers, jingle dress dancers and then fancy shawl dancers. The teenage boys enter next, followed by the teenage girls and then the younger boys, girls and tiny tots. The dancers in each category are announced by the MCs as they pass the announce stand. Finally the arena is filled with all of the dancers, each dancing in their grand regalia. Responsibility for maintaining the song passes from drum to drum, going around the circle until all dancers are in the center of the circle and dancing. With all remaining in the center of the circle, the prayer song and honoring song for veterans begin next. It is a spectacular sight filled with beauty and excitment and pride.

COMMUNITY, FAMILY and SPIRITUALITY
The Powwow is an event that reflects upon many important aspects of Native American society. Amidst the beat of the Drum and stunning regalia, there are other traditions and activities whose purpose is to communicate and strengthen the ways of the Native American community, family life and spirituality.

COMMUNITY
The Powwow is a gathering that reinforces the values of working together as a family and bonding as a community. Powwows are places where young people are exposed to the language, values and teachings of the elders and community.

These sentiments are illustrated in the words of Mike Hotaine, a Master of Ceremonies and Dakota person from Manitoba: "Ochiapo means come and help each other. Come let's do it together. Hokahey ochiapo, [means] to give each other strength, to give each other words of encouragement...gratefulness for you to be here, and gratefulness that we met today and talked, and that's what the Powwow's about. It's a celebration of people coming together to share and communicate. No matter what part of Mother Earth you're on, that part of land is relative, and whoever walks on it is your friend, your 'koda.' That's how we look at it. When we come to a celebration, a Powwow, it's like a bunch of birds coming together to communicate, to talk about things, about life. It's about a new beginning that we will create for each other, for two people, and then we will fly away. And that's exactly what will happen here. We come together this weekend, and after it's finished we'll be going home in our directions and the Powwow will be finished. And we will go home feeling a different beginning, a different beginning that's happened."

SPIRITUALITY
In much of Native American life, the secular and sacred are intertwined: A Powwow is a fun social event and family reunion, while at the same time it provides a setting for spiritual enrichment through traditional rituals and individual reflection. Dancing, as a form of personal expression, cultural identity, physical enjoyment and worship, embodies this duality of purpose at Powwow. Another aspect of Native American spirituality is the belief that all elements of the world- the sky, the grass, the rocks, the animals, the wind, the sounds, the people - are relatives, and are to be recognized and treated with appropriate respect. Worshipping, singing, dancing and helping others are all means of spiritual participation by which the Indians unite with these elements and with each other.

Litefoot, a Cherokee rap singer and actor from Oklahoma, feels that "If we have Indian problems and we have Indian questions, we cannot find Indian answers in mainstream society. We have to look to our Indian ways. I think it would have to be re-establishing that walk with our creator. I mean, we are a praying people."

Barbara Feezor-Stewart, an Yankton Sioux Dakota and Anthropologist: "As I sit here and the wind goes by, I realize that God is here, that Wakantanka is here to make this wind blow, to make my mouth move and the sound waves that go. The spirituality of American Indians is intertwined in everyday life."

Walter LaBatt, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota traditional dancer, drum maker and artist, says. "We are the original people here, and we have tried to hold on to those good ways, because those good ways have to survive for thousands and thousands of years. Our way is not better, it just works for us."

GIVEAWAY
Powwows serve not only as outlets for creative and spiritual expression, but also as forums to present the public rituals of honoring and connecting. To the American Indian people, community and family are very important, and thus publicly acknowledging accomplishments or virtue is an integral part of gatherings. One ritual for honoring is called the Giveaway.

The way in which a community honors its members is an important illustration of the values and identity of that culture. The mainstream American community values independence. Members of that community are honored for their accomplishments by being singled out and awarded with a gift or presentation. (A valued longtime employee might be given a gold watch; a scientist might be awarded a Nobel prize). In contrast, the American Indian community values interdependence and someone is honored by a public ceremony in which gifts are given in their name to the people who have been important in their lives or somehow have helped them reach their accomplishment. For instance, a teenage boy graduating from high school is honored by gifts given in his name by his mother to the friends and relatives who supported him through the years. He is singled out as an honored person and those people important in his life are thanked for their involvement and years of help and support. This approach highlights the values of bonding and working together in a community. One is reminded that he or she is not alone in life, that people will help in the hard times and provide acknowledgment in the good times.

Some honorings involve the singing of a special song in memory or in honor of a person. The participants enter the circle and shake the hands of the honored individual and his or her family. As a group they complete the circle around the arena, and then the song is begun. More often, however, gifts given in an honoring include beautiful blankets or quilts, handmade dance outfits, jackets, ribbon shirts or money. Sometimes fruit or candy is used in giveaways for children. Sometimes a cow or horse will be given as a special honoring.

SNAGGING
The Powwow is a gathering of people from all over North America. It is a great place to meet people sharing a common heritage, value system, and interests. It's also a great place to make new friends, and that includes romantic partners.

Buddy Whipple, a Mdewakanton Dakota man, explains the historical basis for such gatherings. "You could not marry someone from your own tribe, or your own band, especially your own clan. So what you had to do was to go someplace else and get a wife (or husband). This is the way you found someone that was not of your own tribe."

Leon Thompson, a Yakima/Nez Perce Fancy dancer adds that "that's what the Powwow is all about--meeting new people and meeting old friends, and one other term called "snagging", you know, boy meets girl and stuff like that. They call that snagging. The announcer says 'Don't be snaggin," or "let her go or let him go...That's how I met my wife on the Powwow trail in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. We just met and ended up going to the same school."

A similar story is recalled by Harvey and Tania Goodsky of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe: "Nine years ago we met at a Powwow. We just started out as friends, we hung around together, and that's all we were, just friends. We walked around and talked, and I guess it just snuck up on me one day, I guess. That's how I can explain it."

VETERANS
Native American people who served in the United States armed services are greatly honored in the American Indian community. The translation for soldier, warrior, protector and helper are all the same word. In Dakota that word is Akicita and in Ojibwe it is Ogichida.

As Ed Godfrey, a Dakota/Lakota veteran explains, "It was always the warrior who was first in defending Mother Earth. It was his duty to be first. It is a part of traditional values, a part of protecting against any outside invasion that would endanger the people, our people and the land."

It is a remarkable fact that Indian people served the United States long before they were even given United States citizenship. In fact, between 1917 and 1918, over 10,000 American Indian people enlisted into the armed services to serve in World War I. Although this was the greatest number of enlisted peoples from any one non-anglo culture, citizenship (with the right to vote) for Native Americans was not granted until 1924.

The warrior is seen as having an important and ongoing role. As Chief Ernest Wabasha, hereditary chief of the Dakota people, explains. "Sometime in the future we believe that we will be back to protect the environment and everything else."

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THE DRUM
People say you can't have a Powwow without a drum, for it carries the heartbeat of the Indian nation. It is also felt to carry the heartbeat of Mother Earth, and thus calls the spirits and nations together.

The Powwow drum is a large base covered with hide (buffalo, deer, or cow). Forming a circle, eight or more men strike the drum in unison with covered mallets. The men then blend their voices with the beating of the Drum to create the song. The songs are often in the Indian language of the drum members. It is the responsibility of the drum members and especially the lead singer to be able to sing and play whatever kind of song is requested by the master of ceremonies or the arena director for any given event (i.e. flag raising, honoring ceremony, different kinds of dances).

It is said that the drum was brought to the Indian people by a woman, and therefore there is a woman spirit that resides inside the drum. Approriately, it is to be treated with respect and care, and strict behavior is expected of anyone coming in contact with the drum. The drum is often thought to help bring the physical and mental side of a person back in touch with his or her spiritual or heart side. As with many things in the Indian culture, the drum is used to bring balance and rejuvenation to a person through their participation in dancing, singing or listening to the heartbeat.

THE SONGS
The music in a Powwow comes primarily from the drum groups who circle the arena. The drum groups usually consist of several men, each with a covered mallet, circling a large drum covered with hide (buffalo, elk, cow, etc.). The men then blend their voices with the beating of the drum to create the song. The songs are varied and endless in number: some are traditional and passed down through history; others are contemporary and created to speak to current concerns and interests. Many songs are sung in the original Indian languages, a fact some believe will help keep the languages alive and vital to the growing youth.

Each category of dance has a specific style of song and pace that is appropriate for the specific dance. The Drum group, particularly the lead singer, is responsible for having whatever style of song is required immediately available at the request of the MC or arena director.

Songs are very important and have intense personal impact.

Mike Hotaine, MC and Dakota person from Manitoba, explains. "There is a song everywhere. No matter where you go, there is a song. And that's what we're told to listen to. There's songs in the grass, because it is the sacred blanket of Mother Earth in the summertime. And there are songs in the wintertime when the wind howls through windows and doors, there is a song. There's songs in birds that sing a particular song and there are words in that song. All we have to do is learn to listen to them, the great songs of Mother Earth." "God gave one of the greatest gifts to us, to sing together, and the beat of that particular song , the drumbeat itself, which is your heart. So your heart is your drumbeat, and your songs are the gifts of life...the songs of life."

Ron Davis, a Grass Dancer from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, says. "You hear a good song, you're out there dancing, you kind of go to your inner self, into where you had your vision. You go back to the place where you feel comfortable in your own state of mind. And nothing else around you can interrupt that. And when you hear that song, it's so pretty, you know, it sounds like the wind. And you just dance to that, and it feels good." Lillian Goodeagle, a Dakota/Northern Cheyenne champion Fancy Shawl dancer , explains. "A real good song, it just comes into you. It's like in your heart, and your body, your feet, your legs, your arms--everything--is expressing that song."

THE DANCES
The dances at Powwows have a strong personal and spiritual dimension. There are many different stories and interpretations for each dance, depending on tribal and family background. While they may differ in facts, they are all considered true...for truth can exist in many forms.

MEN'S TRADITIONAL DANCE
This is the oldest form of dance in the Indian culture. The regalia is often thought to represent the animals that the Creator put on the earth. The movements tell of warrior actions-hunting, stalking the game, battling an enemy. The regalia is a very per sonal expression of creativity and artistry. While there is no prescribed look, several elements might reflect items worn by early warriors: a breast plate made of animal bones or shell for protection against arrows; a neck choker for protection against knives; ankle bells or jingling hooves; or a shield made of hide and decorated with important tribal symbols. Often a traditional dancer will wear a single bustle containing eagle feathers, which are considered sacred to the Indian people. The eagle flies the highest and carries the prayers of the people to the Creator. Eagle feathers are traditionally awarded for feats of bravery or accomplishment.

WOMEN'S TRADITIONAL DANCE
Woman's traditional dance requires enormous stamina, concentration and grace. The movements are very focused. Women move their feet in time with the drum keeping them close to the ground. As the drum plays "honor beats," women raise their fans to honor th e drum and their male relatives. An important element of women's traditional dance is the regalia. Women's traditional regalia will usually include a fringed shawl held gracefully folded over one arm, an awl and knife case on the belt and a feather (often eagle ) fan. Southern or Oklahoma style women's traditional often feature buckskin or cloth outfits to go with their more overt rhythmic dance movement. The regalia will feature beautiful beadwork (usually created by the woman dancer) in patterns and co lors that reflect tribal and family affiliation. Dakota patterns, for instance, often are in rainbow colors and geometric in shape, representing the colors and patterns of their homeland on the plains. The Ojibwe or Winnebago ragalia often reflect floral patterns and woodland colors showing the woodland Indian influence.

MEN'S GRASS DANCE
Several stories about the beginnings of the grass dance are told. One tells of the grass dance coming from the movements of the early scouts seeking a site. The grass being high in new areas, the scouts would dance in a special way to flatten the grass and make it acceptable for a new camp or meeting site. The grass dance movements also reflect warrior movements such as stalking the game or enemy and fighting the enemy (including one movement representing one of the warrior's legs being staked and unable to move and battling with this leg in a held position). The grass dance is often said to reflect the need for balance in life; each movement that is danced on one side must be repeated by the other side. Some people talk of the grass dance as a gift from the Creator to celebrate joy. There is rich lore surrounding this dance. The regalia for the dance is comprised of long strands of yarn, ribbon or fabric attached to a base outfit to represent grass or in some theories the scalps of enemies. A headdress called a roach is worn. The roach has two feathers attached in such a way that they rock or twirl as the dancer moves. As in all the dances, the dancer must move with the beats of the drum ending with both feet on the ground on the final beat.

WOMEN'S JINGLE DRESS
This dance has its origins in northern Minnesota and was introduced to the Pan-Indian community by the Ojibwe people. As the story goes, a medicine man's granddaughter was very ill. He had a dream in which a spirit wearing the jingle dress came to him and told him to make one of these dresses and put it on his daughter to cure her. When he awoke, he and his wife proceeded to assemble the dress as described by the spirit of his dream. When finished, they and others brought his granddaughter to the dance ha ll and she put on the dress. During the first circle around the room, she needed to be carried. During the second circle around the room, she could barely walk and needed the assistance of several women. The third circle around the room she found she coul d walk without assistance and during the fourth circle around the room, she danced. The jingle dress is made of a cloth, velvet or leather base adorned with jingles made out of a shiny metal. Traditionally and still common today, the jingles are made from the lids of snuff cans. These are bent and molded into triangular bell shapes and attached to the dress with ribbon or fabric in a pattern designed by the dancer. It takes between 400 and 700 jingles to make an adult jingle dress.

The dance itself is designed to incorporate the sound of the jingles by allowing them to move; that is, to make them jingle, or be made "happy." The steps are controlled and do not invlove high kicking or twirls. Often the steps are in a zigzag pattern t o reflect the zigzagging involved in the journey of life. Similar to Men's Grass dancing, the feet often do parallel movements. Similar to a Women's Traditional dancer, the Jingle Dress dancer also raises her fan when the "honor beats" are played on the d rum. As in all dances, the Jingle Dress dancer must stay in time with the drum beat and stop with both feet on the ground on the final beat.

MEN'S FANCY DANCE
One of the more modern dances in the PowWow, Men's Fancy dance is the most strenuous and athletic. To be good at this dance, the dancer must train for stamina and agility. The dance is fast and features jumps and twirling. The regalia is said to represent the rainbow spirits in its bright colors and flying feathers and ribbons. The Men's Fancy dancer typically wears two bustles of bright colored feathers with added ribbon, feather or horse hair hackles and bright arm and head bands repeating the colors and patterns. The dancer also wears a headdress roach trimmed in colored horsehair and featuring two eagle feathers. The roach is designed to keep the feathers either spinning or rocking in movement. It is part of the dance to keep the feathers moving constantly throughout the song. Dancers also carry coup sticks which are highly decorated with ribbons or feathers. The coup stick was originally a small stick carried into battle by a warrior. It was considered a great sign of bravery if you were able to touch your enemy with your coup stick (much more brave than killing your enemy).

WOMEN'S FANCY SHAWL DANCE
This is the most modern of the women's dances. Some say it was originally called the blanket dance and women danced with a blanket or shawl covering their heads. It was called Graceful Shawl dance in the '60s and the dance steps were closer to the ground and smaller than what is performed today. This is an extremely athletic and strenuous dance involving kicks and twirls and fast movement. It parallels the Men's Fancy Bustle dance in speed and style. Women dance with beautifully decorated shawls often wit h long ribbon or fabric fringe. The regalia of this dance also includes beaded high moccasins. The symbols and colors beaded on the moccasins have tribal and or personal significance to the dancer.

THE REGALIA
The dance outfits worn in the circle during the Powwow are called regalia or outfits. Though highly decorative, these outfits are never referred to as "costumes". The term costume denotes artificiality and wear that is donned for an event that is not a part of one's ongoing life. To the contrary, these Native American outfits are very personal and artistic expressions of the dancers' lives, feelings, interests, family and spiritual quest. Often elements of the regalia are gifts from elders or treasured people in the dancers' lives and are honorings to be worn with pride and responsibility. The regalia evolves and changes as the dancer evolves and changes in life. Each season, changes are made depending on the fashion of the time or the personal change in taste. There is no contradiction in blending historic elements with very modern elements, for example interweaving traditional beadwork with Minnie Mouse braid holders.

Since the regalia expresses the life of each individual dancer, design elements from many different sources are appropriate. As Ron Davis, an Objibwe Grass Dancer, explains "It takes a long time to make an outfit, you know. You can go through life and keep adding on to that outfit. Because there are different circumstances that surround different items that you add to your outfit. When you're dancing, these things that are in the regalia, they bring out a shine. You actually shine out there, and you feel good about yourself. Everybody can do that. It's not just for Anishinabe people. It's for everyone."

For more information, go to:
http://www.ktca.org/powwow/index.html