Come to Pow Wow in
When
was the last time you attended a real Native American Pow
Wow? If it’s been too long, or you’ve never had the experience, mark your
calendar for Sept. 19 and 20 in Ridgecrest’s Leroy Jackson Park.
The Four Winds Inter-Tribal Council members are
hosting the 15th Gathering of Nations Pow
Wow. This is a traditional-style Pow Wow, which means
it is free to the public. Many community members and sponsors have pitched in
to help make this year’s event the biggest and best ever, and an ideal family
event.
Hours
will be
Dancers
of all ages and drums from many nations will be there, sharing their culture.
Look for booths featuring educational displays as well as those offering
fascinating items for sale. Native foods such as fry bread and Indian tacos
will be available. Fund raising opportunities will help raise money toward next
year’s Pow Wow, as well as the Council’s scholarship
fund.
Get out
your moccasins and come join the festivities. When the arena director announces
an “inter-tribal dance,” everyone is welcome to come join in. The basic dance
is very simple, and it’s easy to follow along.
Pow Wows are about community coming together,
to celebrate everything that’s good.
At last
year’s Pow Wow, people came from as far away as
Skilled
dancers in elaborate handmade outfits, called regalia, will perform historical
dances. Every movement, every article of the regalia has a meaning.
Listen
to the rhythmic beat of the drum—like a heartbeat. The mighty voices of the
huge Pow Wow drums reverberate as teams of drummers
play and sing in unison. As you dance past the drum, you can feel the beat
coming up from the earth itself, into your feet and legs. What must it have
been like, in pre-Contact days, when Native people danced around a fire under
the stars? In Native culture, dancing is a form of prayer, and the prayers are
to heal the whole world.
Basic
etiquette tips: the central dance arena will be marked off. It will have been
blessed and saged before the festivities begin. You
are encouraged to bring chairs and sit around the edge, but please do not enter
the arena itself unless you are joining or leaving the dancing. If you need to
get to the other side, walk around the outside of the arena. Otherwise, you are
being disrespectful.
Some
dances are regarded as a spiritual ceremony; therefore photographing them is
not permitted. Listen for the area director, who will advise when to put away
your camera and just sit back and enjoy. For those dances that are purely for
fun, take all the photos you want.
You
will notice flags and special honors devoted to veterans. Native people have a
long and proud tradition of military service to this country, and you will see
veterans displaying their insignia. Step up and thank them, and all
veterans—they helped keep you and yours safe and free.
A
tradition that’s fun for the entire family is the plate dance. For a donation
of $1, you get a paper plate with a number on it. Everyone with a plate dances
in the arena; every so often, the music stops, and numbers are drawn. Whoever has
the plate with that number on it wins a prize.
Another
tradition you may not be aware of is the blanket dance. These are usually held
for semi-professional dancers who come from long distances to attend and
perform, but don’t get paid for doing so. A blanket is placed in the arena, and
the dancers perform for the crowd. To show your appreciation for the dance, you
may enter the arena and drop money on the blanket. Whatever is raised usually
covers the dancers’ gas money to attend the event.
None of
this would be possible without the help of the Four Winds’ generous local
sponsors. The Owens Valley Career Development Center Tribal TANF program, the
City of
Council
members have been working since this time last year to put this Pow Wow together. Check out the Web site at: www.f-w-i-c.org for more information.
If you’d like to participate, call Little Deer
Durvin at (760) 446-3414, or write FWIC,
Suggestion: good things to bring with you would
include a folding chair, water, sunhat and sunscreen, camera, some money for
blanket and plate dances, and funds for food and souvenirs.
Absolutely no alcohol or drugs will be permitted on
site.
Temporary
Food Facility Guidelines