| "The spirit of the pow-wow is a continuum in Indian
life. It isn't just for a few days in March. We live this spirit
on a daily basis. It is why we have survived for so long. At one
time we were a forgotten people, but I think we are getting
stronger. From the powwow we gain strength as Indian people,
individually and collectively, to go on into the 21st
century." |
| - Linday Yardley, Taos Pueblo
Indian |
"Pow-wow" is the Algonquin Indian word for "ceremony", but the word
holds a different meaning according to each native American Indian
tribe. Most were religious or war pow-wows, with ceremonial dancing
and sacred rituals. Until this century, non-lndians usually did not
participate in the pow-wows.
In 1951, in Sheridan, Wyoming, Lucy Yellowmule was elected Queen of
the Sheridan Rodeo. This was an annual exhibition where cowboys showed
their skills of calf-roping and horseback riding. Lucy was the first
Native American to be queen, and this marked the beginning of a new
and better relationship between Native Americans and the rest of
society. Lucy Yellowmule and a group of Native Americans traveled
around the United States, speaking to large groups about her success
at the Rodeo and her Crow traditions. Two years after her victory,
All-American Indian Days was established. It became a three-day annual
event with competitions in tepee-building and bread frying and a Miss
Indian America contest. Now in Sheridan, the United Tribes
International Pow-wow takes place in late August, the final pow-wow of
hundreds throughout the spring and summer. The annual Denver Pow-wow
in March begins the season of pow-wows. In 1990, it attracted
thirty-thousand people, half of whom were not Native Americans. In the
huge Denver Coliseum different tribes sing songs that have been passed
down for thousands of years. They are accompanied by the beat of a
large drum, played by five to ten drummers. Dancers of different
tribes show their skills. There are dancers with strips of tin sewn
onto their costumes or bells on their wrists and ankles. Dancers with
fancy shawls look like delicate flying birds as they raise their
cloth-covered arms to the beat of the drums. Grass dancers wear
costumes of brightly-colored yarn, representing meadow grass.
Pow-wows mean different things to different people. They are still
religious or war celebrations, but themes and goals have changed with
the times. Now instead of giving thanks to their gods for a war
victory, Indians honor those of their tribes who have served in the
American armed forces. Young people return from the bigger cities to
learn traditional dances and songs in order to keep their heritage
alive. People who are not Native Americans are not only welcomed, they
are encouraged to participate in the
activities.
