robby

I just wanted to know what everyone thought of fancy dancers taking off there bustles and roach and walking around with baseball caps in the arena. I was taught to wear our roach in the arena and to dance to every song. I guess some may have been taught different but I been fancydancing over thirty years.

meetmeinthegarden

that is classy...to BE at a pow wow...

sometimes I think the animal urge to snag at a pow wow takes precedence over the dance.

it;s instinct though however. Saw a video once where an elder was saying that snagging at a pow wow is natural because in the old days you could never marry within your own nation so when there was a gathering with girls from other tribes/nations...the guys were all scoping.

but....as a female...i am more attracted to those that stay in thier regalia and have silent respect for the traditions than those that have cool hats!!!

Although it is kinda hard to eat when you have a beaded top on...and probly hard to sit down when you have a bustle on... *L*

Dinner break is important though!!!!!!!:)

__________________
A wise man once posted....

"those who give you grief can't stop the sun from rising or setting....the only one who can...made you the way you are...I'd say...He knows what He is doing...."

..."take care how you place your moccasins upon the earth. Step with care, for the faces of the future generations are looking up from earth waiting their turn for life."
~Chief Oren Lyons, Onondaga

sookout sh'nob

Echo that - finding a place out of traffic to sit down is sorta tough. I just moved back to the city and people just keep walking into and ramming my bustle. No respect I tell yah. Fitting into a bathroom stall (or even getting in most bathrooms) is even tougher.

It can get pretty hot and sweaty underneath your head gear (depending on how hard you dance) sometimes, so I'm all for the occasional removal of roaches and whatnot if it's for a good cool down.:)

The guys (and girls) that bother me are the ones that ONLY dance specials and ONLY if there is money or a prize involved. Sorta chaps my hide a bit, but as they say "ezhi-ayaa ezzhi ayaad" .. "s/he does what s/he does."

WhoMe

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Robby:

What you were taught is unfortunately not what is being taught to young people today.

Times change. So do powwow people and powwow ways.

Look at the men who win week after week. They wear their baseball and cowboy hats to accept their prize money.

Yeah, we've all seen it. . .

and nobody says anything.

Not even the elders.

What kind of message does this send to our young people who are forming their powwow ways????

Hmmmmm.

nativ_5_o

both of my sons are fancy feather dancers, one dances more than the other, one of them keeps trying to do the ball cap thing and taking off pieces of his outfit to "get comfortable"...I told him if he wanted to be that comfy he could leave his whole outfit at home. My other son leaves all his regalia on until dinner break and then gets comfy before tearing into those ndn tacos.....

We were at a powwow once where the whipman told young guys who had regalia on to not wear ball caps in the arena when they were dancing intertribal, specials, two steps.....he was waaaaay old school. I thought it was great that he said something.

Zeke

I am not hardcore traditional in any sense, even labeled an assimilist at times, but this particular event does irk me.

You see, I was "given" the right to wear a roach and eagle top feathers. To not exercise such is demeaning those respected individuals who found fit in me to offer that privilege. Therefore, when "dressed", I do not enter the arena uncovered.

I don't know, maybe this is all some made up "Zeke-thing" whereupon I have attached more meaning then was there, but I vividly recall the day I was given two actual eagle tail feathers -- and a roach that wasn't obviously made for a child -- during a small roaching ceremony at an Oklahoma dance.

Now, I have prettier feathers and a nicer roach but I am no more proud. I would not go dance without them.

Zeke

Babe

Yeah, I agree with the gardner....it's more respectable and shows a more traditional side if you don't wear a cap or other non-traditional clothing in the arena. It makes those half dressed guys with caps and t-shirts on look young and ignorant, bringin that white-man-made stuff into a sacred circle (altho jus takin off the bustles I'd completely understand). As a young single Indian woman, i tend to notice little things like that on Indian guys that dance....call me old-fashioned but I like to see indian guys showing off their native side! ;)

meetmeinthegarden

you know what else is VERRY attractive on our men is long braids. One-two-lots.....dosen't matter....just any bit of braided long hair that sways when they walk.

At the moment my husband is growing his hair out. He got halfway there when we were getting married, and when we got the wedding pics back he thought he looked like a pirate.

That was before pirates were cool. aka. johnny depp-Pirates of the Carribean...

Now...he's starting all over again.

Even a goofy guy can look sexy with long braids. Like Evan Adams. In Smoke Signals when he lets his hair down... WOW...

too bad he's gay!

__________________
A wise man once posted....

"those who give you grief can't stop the sun from rising or setting....the only one who can...made you the way you are...I'd say...He knows what He is doing...."

..."take care how you place your moccasins upon the earth. Step with care, for the faces of the future generations are looking up from earth waiting their turn for life."
~Chief Oren Lyons, Onondaga

nativ_5_o

I would have to agree about the long braids, but of course the guys with the best lookin' braids are always "taken":p

Homalosa

What's funny is watching these dancers kick back like Mr. Cool and then they hear the MC say, "Dancers, you must be in full regalia before collecting your contest money, that's right, full regalia." Only thing is, they usually don't hear that until like the millionth time it's said, and then they find themselves rushing to throw their bustles 'n roaches on and run in the arena like they have no sense at all!

Hey Robby, where you been man!

__________________
Honor and respect your elders!



"Until the lion learns to speak the tales of hunting will always favor the hunter."
-K'Naan
O-BAM-UH!!!!



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Homalosa

Evan Adams is gay? Just thought it was just that one movie, Business of Fancy Dancing. Oh well crawling back under my rock.

__________________
Honor and respect your elders!



"Until the lion learns to speak the tales of hunting will always favor the hunter."
-K'Naan
O-BAM-UH!!!!



www.myspace.com/thobackmuzik

www.myspace.com/asanicharles

travelingmocs

If you take the time to make the clothes and then you should take some time out and respect them. Whome was right about saying that the respect is not being taught or being put back into the arena by the young ones. Instead its about winning and snagging.

Pow-wows have really changed even in my time and I have not been around all that long. If you were your clothes you should leave them on. Sure you can take your bustles off to move around and use the john. Everytime I go to oklahoma and see top dancers like Joe Bointy, and Grorge Alexander and people like that there clothes are always on, and they do not come of untill its over and time to pack up for the dance session or when the pow-wow is done.

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