Mirror Boards

**ojibwaysweetie** · 10-01-2003, 06:54 PM

Excuse my ignorance, grass dancers.

But I would like to know why mirror boards are carried by many grass dancers. What is the story behind it? They look real nice, some of them are nicely handcraftedly carved and all painted up with studs on them. Wow. They look cool. I just wanted to know why and what the story is behind them.

*anxious to read what you have to say*

lakotajingledancer · 10-01-2003, 08:11 PM

i would like 2 know 2!

**ojibwaysweetie** · 10-01-2003, 09:56 PM

Grassdancers must be all sleeping..*LOL* :p

Jammer · 10-02-2003, 12:00 AM

uhhhh mmk. Could be many reasons. Each dancer may have a different reason for carrying a mirror or having them on their outfits. The only reason that suits me would be to reject the bad that one doesn't or wouldn't want. What happens when you look into a mirror? It reflects what is looking into the mirror.

**ojibwaysweetie** · 10-02-2003, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jammer
uhhhh mmk. Could be many reasons. Each dancer may have a different reason for carrying a mirror or having them on their outfits. The only reason that suits me would be to reject the bad that one doesn't or wouldn't want. What happens when you look into a mirror? It reflects what is looking into the mirror.

Jammer thanks for your input. I've always wondered the reason behind that. I've seen dancers carry them while dancing even look at themselves. Its cool and awesome to watch.

**billyjoejimbob** · 10-02-2003, 11:16 AM

Grass dancers are going thru changes almost monthly. A few years ago it was all yarn outfits with a fan and a hoop. Then ribbon tops showed up. then ribbon tops and bottoms. then just a fan, than nothing in the hands. than mirrorboards. some people stick to their roots, some change. some have their own reasons for doing things.

I do know back in the 70s and before the mirror board was a staple in a grass outfit. especially the horse head type.

**ojibwaysweetie** · 10-02-2003, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by billyjoejimbob
Grass dancers are going thru changes almost monthly. A few years ago it was all yarn outfits with a fan and a hoop. Then ribbon tops showed up. then ribbon tops and bottoms. then just a fan, than nothing in the hands. than mirrorboards. some people stick to their roots, some change. some have their own reasons for doing things.

I do know back in the 70s and before the mirror board was a staple in a grass outfit. especially the horse head type.

Thanks billy. I think every dance category goes through their "fads" and the next year it is something else.

The mirror boards the grass dancers carry really give the dancer a nice finishing touch. Lots of fancy boards. I think the story jammer told about keeping the good spirits in and the bad ones out makes good sense. And the kind of person you are dancing shows in the mirror's reflection. Anyway, I think the mirror boards are cool.

**ojibwaysweetie** · 10-03-2003, 01:15 PM

wow, not much input from you grassers out there!

Steve StopsOnTime · 10-03-2003, 02:50 PM

Quote:

What happens when you look into a mirror? It reflects what is looking into the mirror.

That's deeeeepppppppp......Dude, it's a mirroorrrrr, that is what mirrors do.

Steve is back from helping Smokey Bear, and I see again, all the pow wow people be using stuff and got no idea where it comes from.

This is from when animals could talk. Mirror boards come from before the BIA gave us Indian's those card's y'all are always talking about. The Indians were geting their checks that Indians get ever month. You know the ones I am talking about. Well whenever the went to the bank to cash the checks, they always asked for identification and they never had any. The People had a big meeting and decided the most powerful of them to go up on the hill. Wapache was sent up on the hill and after he had been up there for 2 days, his spirit guide, Brucee goosee came to him with a mirror and taught him how to make a mirror board and how to use it. Wapachee came back down and taught the people how to make the mirror boards and their use. On the next check day, Wapache and all the people had their mirror boards and were walking to town. On their way to town they passed some SE culture indians. They hadn't taught us how to dance yet, ennit tom, but they liked how the mirror board looked so the took it back to the SE villages and at the their next dance everyone had one. You know how everyone copies.

Oh yeah, the meaning of the mirror board. Well Wapache was the first in line to cash his check and just like every other time, the bank teller asked Wapache, "Do you have something that says you are Wapache?" Well this time Wapache whips up the mirror board and looks in to it and says, "Yep, that's ME." Bank teller gives him his money and the rest is history. We been collecting our checks every month, ever since then.

Aho, Steve has spoken...

**ojibwaysweetie** · 10-03-2003, 05:24 PM

Thanks Steve!!:D

Thought I'd hear from more grass dancers out there.

**billyjoejimbob** · 10-06-2003, 04:50 PM

Sorry, I cant beat that one.:Chatter

Matasawagon · 10-07-2003, 12:18 AM

What ever happened to just dancing what ever or how ever you feel? Does there always have to be a story with these sort of things? I dance with a mirror board because I feel like it...

sewatahon'satat · 10-07-2003, 06:44 AM

there are traditions behind our circle of dances. we just dont make a outfit and start dancing. if your a grassdancer, you must be new to the circle because your post says it all.

learn the ways behind what your doing or maybe your just a hobbiest eh?

10-01-2003, 06:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
ojibwaysweetie PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Heart of the Great Lakes, Ontario Canada Posts: 4,942	Mirror Boards Excuse my ignorance, grass dancers. But I would like to know why mirror boards are carried by many grass dancers. What is the story behind it? They look real nice, some of them are nicely handcraftedly carved and all painted up with studs on them. Wow. They look cool. I just wanted to know why and what the story is behind them. anxious to read what you have to say __________________ "Gaa wiin daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid"

10-01-2003, 08:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
lakotajingledancer ~I wanna pow-wow~ Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 288	hmm i would like 2 know 2!

10-01-2003, 09:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
ojibwaysweetie PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Heart of the Great Lakes, Ontario Canada Posts: 4,942	Grassdancers must be all sleeping..LOL :p __________________ "Gaa wiin daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid"

10-02-2003, 12:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
Jammer Teen Dancer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Indianapolis,IN Posts: 252 Blog Entries: 1	uhhhh mmk. Could be many reasons. Each dancer may have a different reason for carrying a mirror or having them on their outfits. The only reason that suits me would be to reject the bad that one doesn't or wouldn't want. What happens when you look into a mirror? It reflects what is looking into the mirror. __________________ There should be a law against stupid people being able to breed!

10-03-2003, 01:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
ojibwaysweetie PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Heart of the Great Lakes, Ontario Canada Posts: 4,942	wow, not much input from you grassers out there! __________________ "Gaa wiin daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid"

10-02-2003, 11:16 AM	#6 (permalink)
billyjoejimbob Fat Singer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: white guy land Posts: 1,525	Grass dancers are going thru changes almost monthly. A few years ago it was all yarn outfits with a fan and a hoop. Then ribbon tops showed up. then ribbon tops and bottoms. then just a fan, than nothing in the hands. than mirrorboards. some people stick to their roots, some change. some have their own reasons for doing things. I do know back in the 70s and before the mirror board was a staple in a grass outfit. especially the horse head type.

10-03-2003, 05:24 PM	#10 (permalink)
ojibwaysweetie PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Heart of the Great Lakes, Ontario Canada Posts: 4,942	Thanks Steve!!:D Thought I'd hear from more grass dancers out there. __________________ "Gaa wiin daa-aangoshkigaazo ahaw enaabiyaan gaa-inaabid"

10-06-2003, 04:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
billyjoejimbob Fat Singer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: white guy land Posts: 1,525	Sorry, I cant beat that one.:Chatter

10-07-2003, 12:18 AM	#12 (permalink)
Matasawagon Tiny Tot Dancer Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 58	Mirror Boards What ever happened to just dancing what ever or how ever you feel? Does there always have to be a story with these sort of things? I dance with a mirror board because I feel like it...

10-07-2003, 06:44 AM	#13 (permalink)
sewatahon'satat Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: mohawk valley, NY Posts: 16	matasawagon! there are traditions behind our circle of dances. we just dont make a outfit and start dancing. if your a grassdancer, you must be new to the circle because your post says it all. learn the ways behind what your doing or maybe your just a hobbiest eh?

10-09-2003, 12:01 AM	#14 (permalink)
Jammer Teen Dancer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Indianapolis,IN Posts: 252