I mentioned below that I attended part of the 2007 Plains Indian Museum Powwow. I’ve now posted my set of photos from the Powwow to zenfolio – here.
[They were originally at flickr but I've moved it all to zenfolio as of October 2007.]
I’d never been to a powwow and wasn’t sure what to expect. No worries, it was fun. It was held in an outdoor grass-covered arena with a building and announcer stage overlooking a central circular performance area, which was surrounded by lawn sloping away upwards. There were a few sets of bleachers up near the top but otherwise the area was free for people to set up chairs or spread blankets. Vendors had set up tent-sheltered booths around the perimeter to sell Indian arts and crafts. I was disappointed that all around the inner circle – the performance area – fabric shelters had been erected which partly blocked the spectators’ views of the events in the ring. But otherwise I had no complaints.
The Master of Ceremonies was Leo “Chico” Her Many Horses. He did a wonderful job. He explained the dances and some of the history of the powwow along with all his other announcing duties, and never lost his cool or sense of humor. He made me feel that although not an Indian, and not a veteran of powwows, I was a welcome guest. Not by mentioning me personally, let me say, just by the way he handled the event.
I learned that the modern powwow has a definite tie to warriors, old and modern. Part of its origin was with families greeting their soldiers at the train stations during WWII. Native Americans have a proud history of valor in the US armed forces.
The powwow session opens when United States flag is brought in with a color guard and dancing to the Indian “flag song” – and it’s not over until the flag is taken out with equal ceremony.
Saturday night at the powwow there was a “social dance” in honor of a young man who has enlisted in the US armed forces and who was going to report for duty on Monday. His brother had recently come home from serving in Iraq. All military veterans present, whether or not Indian, were invited to greet the young man and his family, wish him well, and join the procession around the arena.
You’d have to be made of something tougher than I am, not to be touched and impressed by that.
