WhoMe

I am doing some research on the modern grass dance.

One thing I am trying to confirm is - at most Northern plains doings in the late 1960's the powwows and wacipis were very small and did not have the variety of dancers and visitors that today's powwows enjoy.

During this period the grass dance faced a major decline.

I have heard it said by powwow people, that two dancers from Ft. Berthold kept the grass dance alive and are partly responsible for it's popularity today. They are Wade Baker and the late Dean Fox.

Is this true?

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

Coyot_In_The_House

Certainly contributed and i'm sure Wade as well.....

Swampfox

Have you asked any of the Elders about the Old History of the Grass Dance? I am wondering if, when a tribe moved with the hunting, if the females participated in stomping down the grass. Is the modern grass dance a men's only dance or are there female traditional dancers? (i.e. is it allowed?)

WhoMe

Ohhhhh yes!

I already have some great interviews and plan on videoing a good one in February.

I have the story from the Umon'hon' (Omaha), how it was transferred to the Santee Dakota, then to the Hidatsa.



If I don't video this information ... I don't know who else will?


So far, I have not heard that women were a part of the grass dance ceremony or "that anybody actually stomped (laid) down the grass" as told in powwows.

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

Swampfox

I hope that you keep in touch! I would like to get the book and/or video when you finish. There was a book I read recently which included a dvd in the back pocket.

FluteMaker

ok tell me just one thing.....
ive heard three versions of where the grass dance came from...

theres the popular powwow story of trampling the grass for setting up camp or for a gathering...

theres the one story here on pw.c about the guy with the lame foot who wanted to dance real bad so he came up with grass dance...

and then theres the one that says the grass dance started on the rez(in the early days) because the army guys wouldnt let the people hunt or teach the youngins how to stalk game. so they came up with the grass dance to teach youngins to move like the prarie grass and do it without the army guys catching on.

so which is it? one of them or something else altogether?


and btw.... i have seen one female grass dancer. at the time it was the oddest thing i had ever seen at a powwow. it was at the 1998 return to pittimitoui powwow in illinois.
she wasnt bashfull about it at all, she dressed right out in the open and was wearing a white sports bra under the regalia. it was either a woman or a guy with A cups

Swampfox

What I am wondering is do the Nations which have the Grass Dance feel that female grass dancers are ok.
And...If it isn't even a traditional dance then why would there be an uproar about a female dancer?

NDNKIDZ

[quote=FluteMaker;85920 and btw.... i have seen one female grass dancer. at the time it was the oddest thing i had ever seen at a powwow. it was at the 1998 return to pittimitoui powwow in illinois.
she wasnt bashfull about it at all, she dressed right out in the open and was wearing a white sports bra under the regalia. it was either a woman or a guy with A cups[/QUOTE]

It was a girl..but she only danced for about 4 years...havnt seen the family in a long time

__________________
"I don't mind coming to work,
> But that eight hour wait to go home is a BITE."

WhoMe

Flute,

According to my research it is something altogether different than what you have mentioned.

Like yourself, I have heard the stomping down the grass story. I have not found anybody to substantiate it.

Phillip Whiteman Jr. (N. Cheyenne) tells the story of the boy who was unable to use his legs and began the grass dance.

I've never heard of the Army/Grass dance correlation. To it kinda sounds like "another urban myth" especially the part about "teaching the youngins to move like the prairie grass." I can only imagine a bunch of youngin's trying to blend in the side of a hill by movin' like prairie grass." *L

The "modern grass dance as we know it today" had it's origins among the Omaha (Umon'hon') people. Other tribes also have origin stories.

In the earliest of photos, grass dancers look nothing like they do today. They were bare chested, bare legged and wore tufts of prairie grass in their moccasins and belts. Today's Crow dancers who did the "hot dance" look very similar to the original grass dancers of the 1800's. Some Chippewa/Cree also wear this style of dance outfit.

I won't elaborate anything about the ceremonial aspects of this because of how I obtained this information. When I was 20, I wanted to know more about this dance and asked a well known man who is involved in the ceremonial aspect of this dance.

At that time in my life, it was not my time to obtain this information.

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

WhoMe

FluteM and NDNKIDZ,

Oh I saw that grass dancer too .... only it was a guy with DD cups!







*L


j/k

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

jumpingbuffalo

Uncle Dean raised me more than anyone. His trophy collection was always growing and was totally cool to wish for as I was growing up in Mandaree, he had'em from all over the US & Canada. I traveled w/ him quite a bit when I could and remember thinking why they the only 2 out there, Uncle Dean & Wade, but don't recall them talking about the evolution of Grass. It wasn't until he passed on that others started telling me about him and how they 'kept it alive.'

So yeah they're lotsa powwow folk that recognize & acknowledge Uncle Dean & Wade as keeping it alive. I remember meeting my uncle Jonathan Windyboy for the first time and how we all hung out talking bout grassdancing & powwow life & it is agreed Uncle Dean showed him the ropes & on downt he line w/ Wesley, Sidrick, and lotsa Rocky Boy & Mandaree folk as well as others from powwow country.

Ok gotta run...

__________________
Dance harder.

WhoMe

Anybody else have another version of others who were involved in bringing back or preserving the grass dance in the 1960's 70's?

__________________
"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

jumpingbuffalo