wazi

what a good question! I've been on powwow committees here on the west coast and we see very few girls/teens dancing southern cloth or any tradish style at all. I very much admire the ones who do, because I think it takes a certain courage to do something so very different from what your peers are doing; out here the girls all love to do fancy shawl or jingle. Even so, I don't think I'd allow a teen to dance in the adult category at our powwow. I think it's more appropriate that she competes in her age group, even though she may not place against the more active styles. Most judges we choose would give credit in that way to a young'un who is outstanding in that style.

and here's the bonus to it: the young woman who starts so.cloth when she's young is probably the one who's going to consistently place/win when she does enter adult category, cause she's had many years of experience behind her. I agree with whomever said there will be changes and years when it seems like no one is doing it, but I believe it will keep on keepin' on. for one thing, there are lots of us aunties & granmas who will encourage our young women to step out there and continue that graceful, powerful kind of dancing as an honor to their women ancestors. Keep dancin and you'll be a champion!

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"Sovereignty. It's a word that gets tossed around like a hacky-sack, but it is just as much a part of the Great Law and our culture as anything, and it doesn't mean just civil or criminal law kind of sovereignty, it means cultural and social sovereignty too. And that is something that I define as maintaining the integrity of our cultural heritage and our society against negative intrusions from the outside, be they drugs, alcohol, weapons, pollution and even anthropologists. Holistic Sovereignty means exercising all of these rights to decide what outside intrusions you will allow and which you will reject." Akia of Akwesasne

butterflynwind

I personaly think that it will always be around even in younger ones.It dosn't really matter what your peers dance.It is more important what you are more comfortable with.What makes you feel confident and proud of your self.When I was 10 years old I learned that dance first before anything else.When I teach someone(a child or adult) to dance I always teach them Southern traditional first.

lil_native_plume_23

here in oklahoma there are alot of girls cloth. i am 17 and this past summer at some pw's i had to move into womens it is scary i am just happy that i made into finals and i placed a few times it suprised so much i was cheesin big!! i just love dancing so it dont really matter what age division i am in.

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dancing from my heart never looking back at what i could have done always looking ahead to the next song!!!!
pain is weakness leaving tha body
~*RoBiN_cHaRm*~

Pathfinder

I think it's really great for a young lady to want to go the tradish route. If that's what's calling you, then that's where you need to be. My neice is 8y/o and she's dancing tradish. She said she likes the other styles but want to be like her Auntie and Grandmother. So she'll keep a family "tradition" going. I hope you really enjoy the dancing, and preparing your regalia. It's very exciting. I've noticed sometimes that in your category there won't be enough and they'll combine it with buckskin, which is okay. Just fix your self up, and get out there and dance.

Eagle Plumes

Ive read many good points on here I have been cloth all my life because it was what my family asked of me but after my mothers passing I was told if I should want to try out another stile i could so when I was ready to start thinking about it I started studing Jingle Im six years into my studies and my dress is almost done but cloth will always be my #1 choice I remember holding on to my aunties fringe as we danced together song aftr song so cloth of course has my fondest memories. Now I problem i have had when i was younger before I entered womans they would try to move me up with the older because of the way I danced I would of much rathred stayed with the gals my age but for some reason some places felt the need to bump me up a spot wich was so scarry! but i held my head high and danced my best i diddnt at that age place very high but third was there at times wich I diddnt think was to bad considering I was dancing with ladies half my age.