Head Staff forum

[Kittycat05]

What are the responsibilities for the arena director? As a student group we are organizing a powwow and we're thinking of getting a student to do the job, instead of paying a well-known person a hefty honorium to do it. Some people think that we should be going with someone who's been doing this for a long time. Some of us think that someone new could pull it off (with guidance given to them). What do you think?

[crazywolf]

Boozhoo niji,

This response is for Kittykat05. I figure I would takea pop shot at it, have been going to pow wows for about 8 or so years and I have seen all kinds of things. The responsibilities of the Arena Director or AD can be varied and few or many depending on exactly who is running the pow wow and where it is held.

These should top the list...
1. The AD lines the dancers up before grand entry.
2. The AD makes sure the dancers within the circle are safe.
3. The AD makes sure the circle is not disrespected.

The AD can also serve as a go between between the head veteran, head staff, host drum, and the emcee.
Also he is there to pretty much help out any way he can.

I have been to pow wows where there was no AD, and it was utter chaos. The AD really has to know what he is doing. I was asked to do this myself one time, only once. It was someone that didnt have experience putting on a pow wow, and I had two months notice. I soaked up all I could in that time, and dove in head first. Luckly the pow wow was small, but mostly I tried to do right by the veterans first and then the dancers second. Even though the pow wow was small, only one drum and maybe 20 or so dancers, I was really really busy. This is a position best left to someone not a novice.

Derek