The Power of Powwows Late summer and early fall is the time to attend a powwow on the reservation By Candy Moulton
Indian dance costume Kelly Eastes
Pow wow is the steady thump of beaters on a hide-covered drum, a cadence of mixed voices singing in Arapaho, Shoshone, Crow, or Lakota, and the sweep and swirl of men and boys wearing brightly colored regalia, of young girls with fringed shawls, older women dressed in buckskin, even tiny tots in beaded moccasins and creamy white buckskin outfits. Begun as a ritual gathering of spiritual leaders and medicine men, powwow is now a social event.
Young Indian dancers say they participate as a way to honor their cultural traditions, and because it makes them feel free and close to their elders. Each year the drums are in place for several powwows in Wyoming. Larger events on the Wind River Reservation include the Chief Yellow Calf Memorial Powwow at Blue Sky Hall Ethete in late May, an Arapaho Housing/Drug Elimination Powwow at Blue Sky Hall in early June, the Northern Arapaho Powwow at the tribal powwow grounds near Ethete in early August, and the Shoshone Labor Day Powwow at Fort Washakie. Other powwows in the state include the annual Plains Indian Powwow at the Historical Center in Cody in mid-June, and a smaller demonstration at the Indian Village during Cheyenne Frontier Days the last full week of July.
Most public powwows involve dancers from many tribes, and varying drum groups also bring individual tribal songs to a gathering, but there are similarities to all powwows. They begin with a grand entry when dancers carry the Eagle Staff and American Flag into the dance arbor. As you would do at any other event where the American Flag is presented, you should stand during the
Children Dancers on the Wind River Indian Pete Saloutos
Flag Song.
Each powwow features a variety of dance styles. Men, wearing traditional leather clothing and eagle feather bonnets, perform first, often mimicking the movements of animals or birds. They sometimes dance in a crouched position as though they are tracking or hunting. Women wearing traditional long deerskin dresses adorned with elk teeth, porcupine quills, beads or cowrie shells dance slowly and regally, taking small steps that cause the fringe on their gowns to sway in rhythm to the drum.
The fancy dance evolved during the Wild West shows of Buffalo Bill Cody, and involves men in elaborate outfits with feather bustles at their hips and shoulders, and brightly colored headdresses. They leap, twist, spin and swirl in a fast-paced dance that shows their endurance and strength. Female fancy dancers also show off fast footwork, as they leap and spin in their brightly colored clothing featuring shiny sequins and long fringed shawls that they hold out to make them look like flying birds or butterflies. Other young women, wear dresses ornamented with dozens of tin cones that tinkle when they walk, giving them the name of jingle dresses.
Today's powwows involve either intertribal social dances or competitive dancing, and most gatherings are a combination of the two styles. During intertribal activities, people of all ages and genders, including both Indians and non-Indians, are welcome to enter the arbor and dance.
In all cases, respect the dancers, do not touch their outfits and take photos only when the announcer gives permission to do so. The regalia these dancers wear can be a combination of heirloom clothing and modern recreation. Although some dance outfits may reflect a particular tribe in style, others combine traditions as the dancers keep their culture alive.
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