The American Indian Pow-wow

The Master Of Ceremonies…
keeps the Pow-wow running smoothly. He
must have knowledge of the Pow-wow circuit
and up-coming events. He is an entertainer
who must be able to keep the crowd interested
in the events. He works closely with the
Arena Director.
His duties include:
Introductions and welcome to the
Pow-wow.
Explaining events and keeping the
public informed.
Informing the public when it has
permission to use camcorders,
recorders, etc. and when they are not
allowed.
Announcing contest and which drum
is to sing.
MONTANA
INDIAN
MINISTRIES
Today’s Pow-Wow….
The Arena Director…
holds an important position keeping the
contest, dancers, and drums organized. He
works closely with the Master of Ceremonies
to keep him informed of all timed events.
His duties include:
Organizing the Grand Entry—he
signals the beginning and end and
keeps the dancers in rotations.
Keeping track of the drums and their
turn in the rotation.
Signaling the beginning and end of
each contest.
Protecting an eagle feather if it drops
and making sure a proper ceremony is
performed to pick it up.
The
American
Indian
PowPow-wow
Bruce & Sande Plummer
P.O. Box 154, Hays, Montana
59527 USA
Phone 406406-230230-0415
E-mail:
is our link to the past that helps our people
keep our Native Heritage alive. It is a time for
our people to be together with other family
members, friends and tribes. This is our time
to be our own true selves—a time of sharing,
laughter, tears, and caring, for all our people.
At these times we honor yesterday, live today,
and strengthen our future. As Indian people,
we travel hundreds of miles across the
country to attend various Pow-wows. The
distance, time and expense it takes to reach a
Pow-wow is not of great concern to the
Indian family. For we go to retouch our past,
strengthen our present, and teach our young
people to be proud of who the Creator made
them—an American Indian. We ask ourselves
how one can put time or a price tag on the
preservation of a people and culture that dates
into antiquity. Today’s Pow-Wow—a time to
keep our life circles strong.
Elder Lillian Hopkins
Our Dance Arena…
is blessed before the Pow-wow by an elder and
considered sacred—grass dancers also bless
the grounds with the first dance.
The front seats are for the dancers and their
families and the drummers and their
families. Elders are also given these choice
places to sit and enjoy the songs and to watch
the future of their families and tribes become
strong. They enjoy watching and remembering
yesteryear and we all must allow them this
privilege.
Dance Contest:
Judging: Judging will be based on a point
system. Criteria used will be:
Each Grand Entry
Dance Styles
Ability to stop on last drum beat
Each intertribal
Uniqueness of Regalia
Knowledge of contest songs
Categories:
Tiny Tots—ages 5 and under
Youth—ages 6-11
Boys Division: Fancy, Grass, Traditional
Girls division: Fancy Shawl, Jingle,
traditional
Men—ages 18-49
Divisions: Fancy, Grass, Traditional
Women—ages 18-49
Divisions: Fancy Shawl, Jingle, traditional
Golden Age—ages 50 and up
Divisions: Men and Women
Drum Groups and Songs:
Drums are considered the heart beat of the
people- circle of life-the center of life.
Drums are named for families, areas, or tribal
societies. The head Drum (host drum-#1
position) sits at the front center. The drum is
always honored with gifts of tobacco during
give-aways, and
recipients acknowledge
gifts by standing or
hard beats of the drum.
A drum is headed by
one or more head
singers. His role is to
make sure everyone
remembers the song, so
he will sing softly
before the song.
Without drum groups
there would be no
Pow-wow.
Good drums get the
dancers out dancing
and good songs help
them dance well. Songs
make the dancers want to dance and are
created by the individual with this talent.
Dancers keep in step with the melody of the
songs, rhythms, tone, and pitch, which help
the moves. Four honor drum beats indicate a
break between the chorus and verse.
Dancers honor the drums with these three
beats by a slight change of dance style.
Repeating a chorus and verse 4 times = 4
pushups, meaning a full song. Emphasis on
speed and volume on the last 5 beats of the
song indicate its end which allows the dancers
to stop right on the last
beat. A tail song (a short
repeat of the final chorus)
is sung and the song is
over.
Songs: vary in purpose
according to desired effect:
Contest Songs
TRICK SONGSstop and start
suddenly
CROW HOP-slow
paced, pronounced
beat
SNEAK-UPtraditional-tell war stories and reenact brave deeds
HONOR, VICTORY, VETERAN,
FLAG SONGS-emotional, respectful,
and reverent.
Dance Regalia (Outfits) and Dances
Social Dances-are
for everyone, even non-Indian and dancing outfits are not required.
Dances
Intertribal Dances-are
for everyone, all are welcome to participate, women should wear shawls if not in dance regalia.
Dances
Round Dances-dancers
move in rows of circles, clockwise in a one-two beat.
Dances
Contest Dance-judged
according to age groups, outfits, and dance style. Most important is the ability to stop on the last drum beat and keep in step
Dance
with the drum.
Dropping a part of the dance outfit or failing to stop on the last beat can disqualify the dancer during the contest.
In order to be an effective competitor, the dancer must know the contest song well and be able to move with the drum beat and song.
Jingle Dress/DanceDress/Dance- The jingle dress
utilizes bright cloth with large tin cones
(jingles) sewn in lines. Jingles are sewed on in
chevron patterns, straight lines, or slanted
lines according to individual preferences.
Jingles are also sewed on an overskirt that can
be raised for dancers’ comfort when sitting
down. The jingle dance originated with the
Ojibwa Indians in Minnesota and was
adopted by the southwestern tribes. It has
recently been adopted by the Plains Indians.
Accessories:
Metal concho belts
High top beaded moccasins
Neck scarves
Heads are left bare or decorated with
single eagle plume
Hands are on hips or kept close to
them
No shawl
The Jingle Dress dance is up and down
motion due to tightness of the form fitting
dress. Feet are lifted in a hopping, rocking
manner that causes the jingles to produce
rhythmic clacking sounds.
Young Girls and Women
Fancy/Butterfly Shawl-Fancy/Butterfly
shawl dance represents a woman flitting
through the woods like a butterfly, searching
for her missing warrior. The shawl
accentuates her moves and imitates the wings
of the butterfly. Shawls are fancy,
embroidered with long fringe to accentuate
movement. Dresses are colorful.
Accessories:
High top moccasins or leggings
Hair piece
Braid wraps with beaded ties
Beaded belts plume for hair
Individual tastes for color or style of
shawls
Traditional Dancer—Female
traditional dancers carry themselves with
dignity and grace. Their dresses are ankle
length buckskin or cloth with long fringes
extending from the arms of their full beaded
shoulder capes. The capes may be decorated
with cowrie shells or elk teeth.
Subtle dance steps cause the buckskin fringe
to sway. They may dance in slow, short steps
around the circle or older
women may choose to dance in one spot,
keeping rhythm with drum by bobbing gently
up and down while they turn their feet gently
to and fro, first one way for 6-7 beats and then
back the other way for 6-7 beats. Holding
eagle feather fans, they raise them to the sky
on a hard beat in honor of the drum song.
Accessories:
High top moccasins or leggings
Beaded bags, one to hold, one on back
of belt
Brass tack or concho ornamental belt
and side drips (may also wear fully
beaded belt instead)
Hair wraps and/or otter braid wraps
Eagle feather and plume hair
ornaments
Knee length breast plates
Shawl folded over left arm
Traditional Dance- Male traditional
dancers wear long buckskin/cloth shirts over
buckskin/cloth leggings. Dancers do
exaggerated upper body movement and active
head movements (looking for enemy or like
prairie chicken). Chest is thrown out,
shoulders twist and rock in a proud manner.
Feet movements are precise with each beat.
They re-enact warriors searching for enemy
such as hunter stalking prey. Ceremonial belts
are worn at small of back and are constructed
of hawk and eagle feather which drape to
heel. Origin of these bustles dates back to prereservation days. They are now called single
traditional bustles. Head dress (deer and
porcupine hair roach) represents the top knot
of a male prairie chicken and usually has 2-3
eagle feathers. There is a beaded head band.
Ribbons hand from a ribbon rosette at the
temple. A long beadwork harness is worn.
Accessories:
Breast plate is bone.
Necklace is choker type.
Arm bands (beaded and may have
small bristle of hawk feathers).
Wrist bands with beaded cuffs.
Ankle bells over sheepskin.
Knee bands are beaded.
Moccasins.
Leggings of hide with buckskin
fringe.
Fan, whistles, scarves, rawhide
shields, beaded bags, and mirror
boards.
Shield/dancing stick.
Young Boys
Boys and Men
Grass Dance—Grass Dance outfits have
no bustles. Colored yarn or ribbon fringe is
worn on matching shirt, pants and apron. The
yarn or ribbon is worn to give the image of
weaving grass in the wind on the plains. Grass
dancing takes effort and finesse with a lot of
body movement
with good
footwork. A
dancer can “ride”
– step in one place
and let the body
do the dancing.
Body movement is
in odd contortions
with hips, arms,
and shoulders
constantly
rocking and
shaking.
Accessories:
A
porcupine
roach
head dress with eagle plumes on wires
in spreaders is worn for head attire.
A beadwork harness is worn over the
shirt with matching belt, cuff, arm
bands and head band.
Sheep bells are worn on the ankles
over sheepskin.
Dancing sticks or scarves are carried.
Fancy/Bustle Dance—Fancy/Bustle
dance outfits are made from flashy, bright,
colorful cloth. Dancers use intricate, fast, and
acrobatic motions of twisting and turning and
are very individual. The dancer must keep
good balance for foot work. The steps that are
done on the left
foot must also be
done on the right
foot (four each).
Dancers need to be
in top physical
shape. Fancy
dancers are judged
on how well the
dancing style and
foot work is put
together. Dancers
do high stepping
spins and acrobatic
body moves during
stops, starts, and
accent beats. The
dancer must have
the ability to stop
on the last beat of the drum.
Accessories:
Two bustles (one for shoulders and a
large one for back).
Matching round arm bustles.
Matching feathered head gear.
Matching capes, aprons.
Side/knee and ankle bells.
Beaded moccasins and chokers.
Dancing whips.