Powwow

Dianna

Member
I used to go to Powwows all the time. It was so much fun, they even have special times where they will let anyone go in and dance around the ring. Have you ever attended a powwow?
 

Rhonda Tharp

Active Member
Yes, but oddly enough it was at an Irish Festival in Dallas. The Choctaw Nation had heard about the Black '48 (Potato Famine in Ireland in 1848) and sent money to help the Irish. The Choctaw Nation sent more assistance than the Queen of England! Ever since, there has been a connection between the Irish and the Choctaws. The Irish Festival honored the Choctaw Nation for 150 years of friendship and they had a powwow. It was awesome.
 

Boudica

New Member
I have always wanted to go to one but never had the opportunity to do so. How do you find out where and when they are going to be held?
 

TheReaper

New Member
I went to a few as a kid with my dad. He is a huge Native American history buff and he still goes whenever they have one in his area.

Boudica - Try looking online for tribes in your area. They might have a website that will have an events calendar.
 

Goldie

New Member
No, I have never been to a pow wow, but I have read about them. I actually researched them a bit for a paper I was doing at one point. It would be interesting to attend one of them.
 

Eulalie

New Member
When I was young we had a friend who lived on one of the reservations in California with his wife, we went a few times with them but I don't really remember much except the colorful clothing everyone was wearing but me.
 

Allie-Gator

Member
I would LOVE to go to a powwow! I am part Native American and am still searching for relatives even years after finding out that I have enough Native American blood running through my veins I can claim tribal status.
 

Libros

Member
I attend pow wow but I never dance, even when invited. I don't consider myself privileged to participate in the sacred traditions of a living culture that isn't my own, especially one so desperate to preserve them. At a pow wow, I give small gifts to the elders of the First Nations group I associate with and a donation to the charity of their choice.

They are definitely wonderful events. Everyone should attend one once, it's an unforgettable experience.
 

justbelieve

New Member
Now this would be something very fun. What a great way to learn about Indians too. My daughter's dad is part Native American and my daughter oftens ask about her heritage. I would love to take her to a pow wow.
 

greekgoddess31

Active Member
I have never attended a pow wow but I would love to. My stepdad and my half siblings are Native American. I have done a lot of family research into the traditions and everything.
 

Goddess2u

Member
I have been to one pow wow and it was wonderful. I would love to go to another and see the different dances, craft and things that are part of this heritage.
 

WoodNymph

New Member
Are outsiders allowed at pow-wows? Would they be authentic, or just demonstrations for the curious? The closest I've come to a pow-wow is singing along with the Indian song in Peter Pan. :)
 

Libros

Member
In two communities in Canada that I've experienced, the songs and dances exhibited at public powwows are not the authentic sacred dances that have been passed down through generations as part of spiritual practice. They're exhibitions, created dances that are not intimately connected to the group's sacred beliefs. The songs and drumming that accompany them are also different from the authentic sacred songs. So public participation is okay, it's just that most outsiders don't think that they're not really participating in an authentic ceremony.

They celebrate similar things like community and respect for nature, so the public gets a glimpse at what the group values through dance. But they're created for show and profit, and the true sacred dances are fiercely guarded and never publicly displayed or even filmed when performed in private.

Exhibition dances are often much more flamboyant and colourful than the true dances because that's what attracts outside interest. The sacred dances, I've been told, are more subdued but are danced with far more reverence. Certain families also have a duty to learn and pass on sacred dance while exhibition powwow dance is more like a hobby that's not necessary.
 

Olsen

Member
I attend pow wow but I never dance, even when invited. I don't consider myself privileged to participate in the sacred traditions of a living culture that isn't my own
Same here. I've participated to a couple of powwow festivities, as one of my best friends' wife is of Native American origins... I can't say I've enjoyed it that much as you guys have. I only stayed until the donation part, I offered the customary gifts, after which I grabbed something to eat and excused myself, pretending to be ill. The dances seemed interesting, but a bit too tumultuous and flamboyant for my taste. They made me feel rather uncomfortable.
 

Pegasus

Member
I can certainly understand the desire to want to keep the ceromonies private and sacred. On the occasions that the pow wow is performed for the general audience to view, is it narrated so that the people gathered understand the reverence of the ceromony itself? Such as the meaning behind the costumes, the chanting, and the dance interpretation?
 

Frumpy

Member
I was able to be at a Powwow in Connecticut. I enjoy every part of it. I wish I had been able to actively participate in the dancing. The drums really touched a part of me that wanted to just move. I wish I knew where there was a list of them to see if I can find one within driving distance.
 
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