Little Dancers

The Pow Wow took place last night nearby.  We went to watch the Grand Entry and to have some supper, I had taco in a bag and Far Guy had a fry bread burger and fries.

The flag ceremonies are always impressive, they honor the flags and our veterans.

It is always fun to photograph the dancers.

This year I tried to capture the smallest dancers.

A little Jingle Dress Dancer holding someones hand…might have been an older sister.

A feathers flying dancer…he loved those feathers!

This little Fancy Shawl Dancer must like horses, even her shawl was lined with horses and on the back of her shawl was another horse.

Pony tail flying dancer!

It was a fun evening, we had a spot to sit in the shade after a fairly warm day the shade was a welcome relief.   This was a busy weekend in our area.  In Detroit Lakes “We Fest” was going on and over in Park Rapids it was the Logging, Legends and Loons Celebration. We attended neither… too many people. 

Pow wow 2012

Last evening we headed over to the Pow wow.  We got there just in time to scarf down some homemade French Fries, cheese curds and a hamburger before the Grand Entry.

Just before the Grand Entry is a sacred peace pipe ceremony.  It is not photographed.

The Grand Entry begins with the eagle staffs, then the flags, followed by the royalty.  The men enter next followed by younger men and older children.  Women and small children encircle the men and soon everyone has entered and they are all dancing around the circle.

Traditional men’s regalia with a feather bustle.

Jingle dancers.

My favorite regalia this year was this simple oh so soft looking buckskin dress. This older lady is carrying her eagle feathers in her right hand and carries her buckskin beaded bag on her left arm.

This is one of the littlest Jingle Dress dancers.  She is our friend Edith’s Granddaughter.

We came home right after the Grand Entry.  It was a nice evening..two date nights this week:)

Reluctant Dancer

At the PowWow on Saturday night, I observed one of the smallest dancers.  I am not sure if this reluctant dancer is a little boy or a little girl.  The first time they danced around the circle was fine and dandy. Note the Spiderman slippers..too cute!

Then he/she pitched a fit. It was a total meltdown.  The parent in me was embarrassed for the Dad, the Grandmother in me was just charmed by a child showing his/her true feelings.

The Dad was patient.

The dance continued:)

Pow Wow : Final Thoughts

A few final thoughts and photos that I wanted to share ..

One thing that really impressed me, the honor that they show to their Veterans. After the Grand Entry they held a flag ceremony. The Flags that had been flying all day, were flags from Funerals, they were taken down by Veterans..Native and Non Native.. Far Guy helped. The flags were folded and then presented back to the family members..it was a very touching ceremony, I watched and took no photos.

The Flag carriers were all Veterans, I am used to a very uncluttered military uniform. A pony tail would have never been seen, or bells on shiny boots.

The Dancers, although I enjoyed the Jingle Dresses, there were some very young and energetic Fancy Shawl dancers. Fancy Shawl dancers can whirl and twirl wildly til they are dizzy!

There were two women whose Traditional Regalia..(the correct word for their clothing) impressed me. They carry a fringed shawl over one arm and have a awl and knife case on their belt. The Eagle Feather or Eagle Feather Fan that they carry..somehow is held to honor the drums and the beat of the drums.

Just before we left, I was smelling smoke, it was the Spiritual leader doing another ceremony..a healing ceremony..for a gal with cancer and a gal that was seriously injured in a car accident. He shooed the smoke around them with an eagle feather, and mumbled words.. then they took the place of honor in front of the announcers booth while family and friends danced for them. Later Far Guy shared with me what the strange tobacco was..a mixture of tobacco, sweet grass and bear intestines. Why Bear? Someone said ..it pleases the spirits. Earlier in the evening there was a small bird flitting around, it had a problem flying, finally the announcer said " Everyone please leave that bird alone, it might be a spirit bird. " :)

Pow Wow : The Jingle Dress

A Jingle dress is made from cloth, velvet or leather and adorned with Jingles. Jingles are traditionally made from the lids of snuff cans. The lids are bent and molded into triangular bell shapes. An adult dress can have 400 to 700 Jingles.

The Dance: The steps are very controlled and low to the ground, there is no high kicking or twirling. The dancer may make a zig zag trail to represent the journey of life. The sound of the Jingles jingling is considered a happy sound, a healing sound.

The Ojibwe Legend: A Medicine Mans granddaughter was very ill. During a dream a spirit wearing a Jingle Dress came to him and told him to make a dress for his granddaughter and to have her dance. She had to be carried during the first circle, the second circle she needed a little help, the third circle she walked by herself and the fourth circle she danced.

I attended my first Pow Wow when I was just a little girl, I was intrigued by the colors of the costumes and the Birch Bark Tepee that stood on the shores of Shell Lake. That was in the late 1950's. My second Pow Wow was in Canada, while we were on vacation..we were the only non natives there so we did not stay long. My Father- In- Law said "Let's stay together and walk back to the car quickly..there are no other white people here." This time I thoroughly enjoyed the Pow Wow. The public was invited and welcomed. :)

Pow Wow : The Grand Entry

We recently attended a Pow Wow, before taking any photographs we asked permission. Photographs are permitted, except during the Pipe Ceremony. A friend of ours is the Spiritual Leader of this Tribe. He smokes the pipe to begin the Pow Wow. He said the pipe had regular tobacco in it.. and maybe it did. It smelled pretty good to me. Anyway he puffs on the pipe and presents it first to the East saying something. I am close to him..within 15 feet and I still cannot hear what he says. He puffs and faces south then west and north. Then he puffs alot and holds the pipe to the sky and then puffs some more and presents it to the ground. Then as quietly as it started the ceremony is over. Tobacco is taken in a shell shaped dish to all the people that are going to be in the grand entry. The Grand Entry begins.

The Eagle Staffs and Flags

The Royalty came next, the elderly lady in the scooter is the "Forever Princess." I was a tad concerned about her, at one point she buzzed her scooter up next to me..she was smoking a cigarette AND she was on oxygen.

The Dancers..first the men..

Then the older women and women with small children. They encircle the entire group..dancing on the outer edges of the dancing circle.

When the Staffs and Flags have made a full circle, younger dancers join in.

A Pow Wow is a Native American gathering to dance, sing and visit. The Pow Wow grounds is made up of circles, the first circle in the middle is the circular shelter that shields the drum and the drummers from rain and the sun. Then there is the dancing circle, then the spectator circle, a covered area where you can sit. The circle beyond this is a walkway that is circled with tents and trailers, you can purchase bead work, jewelry, T shirts, fry bread, french fries, shaved ice, hamburgers, hot dogs..and yes even cheese curds!

Cheese curds are hunks of cheese covered in a batter that are deep fried..all melty and yummy!

This shopping/eating circle is surrounded by a parking circle, that is in turn surrounded by a camping circle with tents and RVs and campfires. Many people camp out at the Pow Wow grounds the entire weekend. Far Guy and I live about 8 miles away from the Reservation so we went for part of the afternoon..then we went back again in the evening for the Grand Entry. I had a blast taking photographs! :)