Every year, all over the country, Native American powwows bring communities together to celebrate culture and heritage— and everybody’s invited. By Susan Kraus. Photos: ASU PHOTO

Sydney Jessepe

Sydney Jessepe is an honor student at Royal Valley High School in Hoyt, Kan. She’s in the art club, runs track, plays basketball and is in the drumline in the band. But that’s not all: Sydney is a princess.

As a princess, Sydney represents the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and one of the major responsibilities of a princess is to represent the tribe at powwows.

“It means a lot to me to be trusted to represent my tribe,” she says. “As a princess, I have an opportunity to learn from our elders, bring pride to my family and continue our tribal traditions.”

While it may have originated in the Algonquin word pauau or pau-wau, meaning “a gathering of spiritual leaders,” powwow is now a ubiquitous term for many kinds of gatherings. When anyone says, “Hey, let’s have a powwow,” we get it. Or at least we think we do.

For Native Americans, powwows are like huge reunions of extended family. Tribal members who live off the reservations return to reconnect, reinforce spiritual and cultural practices, and teach their children about their heritage. Since tribes often invite nonmembers to observe, the rest of us get a chance to see these events, which have taken place for generations.

“We’ve always had powwows, when tribes gathered to trade, talk, dance and celebrate,” says Joe Hale, also of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. A Vietnam veteran—which gives him a special place of reverence in Native American culture—who, as a Marine, was awarded a Purple Heart, Hale has been part of a singing group, the Little Soldiers Creek Singers, since 1972. “When I was young, we had our powwows on the reservation fairgrounds, with rodeos, horse races and lots of dancing,” he says.

“Most reservation communities host powwows that are social events for the local people,” says Keli Herman, museum curator at the Sicangu Heritage Center at Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. “Community members and their guests come to visit, enjoy the dancing and pass on traditions. The emphasis is not on competition but on connections between families with honorings, giveaways and ‘feeds.’”

Zuni tribe at the Zuni
Festival of Arts and
Culture

Competition powwows, on the other hand, tend to be larger intertribal and regional affairs. The emphasis is on dancing skill, regalia and performance.

“The best dancers in each category take home the prize money,” Herman says. “The announcer usually explains the basics of each style for the benefit of the young people and visitors. But when the announcer says, ‘Hokahey, everybody dance!’ the powwow becomes a social dance.”

There are also statewide and even national powwows that have become huge festivals with expansive upscale arts and crafts markets. The Denver March Powwow, for example, showcases more than 700 dancers and musicians who hail from about 70 tribes. The eighth annual Veterans Day Weekend Traditional Pow Wow in Phoenix will have drum groups and artisans from throughout Arizona.

In the past decade or so, powwows have become so popular that there are performers and devotees who follow “powwow trails,” and a powwow can be found almost every weekend in the Midwest. And with entry fees around $10 for a two- to three-day pass, they are a vacation bargain.

The beating heart of every powwow is the drum. These large instruments are cherished and protected to preserve the integrity of their sound. “The drum is a gift to us from the creator,” Hale says. “The spirit is in the drum.”

The group of singers that surround a drum and play it are also called, collectively, a “drum.” Their skill and artistry can set the tone and pace for the powwow. There are hundreds of song variations determined by pitch, rhythm, intonation and lyrics. The head and second singer initiate each song, after which others join in. Then the dancing begins.

There are men’s dances (Northern and Southern styles, fancy and fancy feather, traditional, straight, grass and more) and women’s dances (buckskin, cloth, traditional, fancy shawl, jingle, among others). Some dances are smooth and slow, with more subtle movements, while others are animated, with leaps, spins and turns. Many are intended to evoke images of animals or other parts of nature. There are competitions with categories for adults, teens and children, which are restricted to dancers with specific regalia, require entry fees and have monetary awards.

Social dances are open, on the other hand, and regalia is not required. There are dances for couples, like the owl and the two-step; group dances, where everyone moves in a circle; and those in which participants follow a head dancer. All of them give guests a chance to join in.

The festivities take place in a series of concentric circles. At the center is the dance arena with drums and the master of ceremonies’ table. Reserved seating for dancers and elders is in the surrounding ring. The next ring offers a space for visitors to put their own chairs. Along the outer ring is where you’ll find food vendors, serving up tacos on fry-bread, among other tribal dishes and “American” options. Jewelry made with silver and precious stones as well as paintings, leather goods, wood and stone carvings, hand-woven baskets and intricately designed pottery prevail.

Grand Entry at the
Veterans Day

So much of what we know of different cultures is filtered through the media. Take the opportunity to experience another culture yourself—the best way to teach our children to respect and appreciate others is to show, rather than tell. And what a show it is!

While they certainly are a good time, powwows can change perceptions. As Hale puts it, “Understanding different cultures leads to harmony among people … and once you come, you will return. The drum calls to you wherever you are. The drum pulls you to it.”

POW-WORDS

Learning a few terms may lead to a deeper understanding of the celebration.

REGALIA: The attire of specific tribes or specific dances. Regalia can have its own evolving fashion; ornate, complex and directed by tradition, it includes breastplates, leather, feathers, ribbon-work, fringe, bells, chokers, vests, belts, beadwork, shawls, jewelry, crowns, fans, bustles, moccasins, anklets, sequins, hoops, breech cloths and more. Making regalia requires countless hours of detailed hand-work, and elements are often passed down within families.
A personal expression of a dancer’s interests, feelings and family, regalia is often changed—if only in a minor way—annually.

ARENA OR ARBOR: The circle area defined for dancing. Around it are seating areas reserved for dancers and elders.

GRAND ENTRY: The opening of every powwow, in which dancers enter in defined order, led by the Eagle Staff and flags, veterans, organizers and princesses.

GIVEAWAY: The practice of giving gifts. These gifts are generally practical and value is measured symbolically, rather than by dollar cost. Generally, gifts are given by or on behalf of someone who is being honored, as opposed to giving a gift to an honoree.

HONORING: A show of respect for a person’s contribution, accomplishment or a major life event with a donation, song request or giveaway. Honorings are common for birthdays, anniversaries, contributions to the community or military service.

MIDWEST AIRLINES offers flights to and from Denver, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Omaha, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Details can be found at midwestairlines.com.

WHERE’S THE PARTY?

There are powwows taking place year-round, all over the country. Here are some of our top picks.

OMAHA
Fort Omaha 17th Annual Intertribal Powwow Sept. 20 402-457-2253

PHOENIX
8th Annual Veterans Day Weekend Traditional Pow Wow Nov. 8 west.asu.edu/public affairs

FAIRFAX, VA. (ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.) 6th Annual George Mason University Veterans Powwow Nov. 10 703-244-5530

MILWAUKEE
Traditional Winter Pow-Wow Traditionally the first weekend in March. Check Web site for details. www.indiansummer.org

DENVER
Denver March Powwow March 20-22, 2009 www.denvermarchpowwow.org

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. (ABOUT 2 HOURS FROM PHOENIX)
Annual Festivals of Arts and Culture The Museum of Northern Arizona hosts three separate events with the Zuni, Hopi and Navajo tribes. Check Web site for dates.
www.musnaz.org

Powwow Etiquette

If you aren’t clear on a rule, ask. But here a few of the basics:

Don’t photograph or tape individuals without permission. Ask before audio-taping singing or drumming. If you see others taking photos during dance competitions, it is probably acceptable, but it is always better to ask than offend.

Powwows are alcohol free.

Listen to the master of ceremonies. That’s whose voice you’ll hear on the microphone, and he or she will provide suggestions, explain dances and remind about protocol.

The dance arena is off limits. It is often blessed prior to the start of the dancing. Never cut across it, even in between dances. If guests are invited to join in a dance, however, then feel free.

Don’t touch anyone’s regalia, no matter how inviting. You may be allowed if you ask respectfully, but many dancers do not want their regalia touched. And never call regalia a costume.

Eagle feathers have enormous symbolic value. If an eagle feather falls from a dancer’s regalia, dancing halts. A ceremony is required to retrieve the feather and return it to its owner.

Most chairs are reserved (especially if under a canopy) or belong to someone. Bring your own folding chair or be prepared to stand a lot. Indoor powwows are more likely to provide bleacher seating. (For outdoor powwows, it helps to remember water bottles, sunscreen and hats.)

Stand for the grand entry. Drumming begins and the U.S. flag, tribal flags and the eagle staffs of represented tribes are carried in, often by veterans, followed by tribal elders, organizers, princes, princesses and dancers. Also stand for the Flag Song, Veterans songs, closing songs and whenever you see people get on their feet. Men, take off your hats.

Relax. Powwows have their own time. Respecting the process is more important than respecting the schedule. Take off your watch. Feel the beat of the drums and the cadence of the songs. Let the spirit move you.