Head Staff forum

WhoMe · 11-22-2004, 09:48 AM

Greetings.

We have opened a new forum to exchange information and discuss all the positions of the Head Staff.

Included under this heading are:

1. Head Dancers (male, female, jrs. etc.)
2. Host and Invited Drums
3. Head Singers (usually a southern position)
4. Emcees (aka. Master of Ceremonies)
5. Arena Directors and whipmen/women
6. Head Veterans
7. Princesses

Some of these questions may or may not have been addressed on other forums. Now there is a forum to address specific questions related to the Head Staff.

We hope that powwow committees, first time head staff and many of you just starting to learn about head staff, can benefit from this forum.

Mato Winyan · 11-22-2004, 10:20 AM

:Thumbs

sookout sh'nob · 11-23-2004, 12:57 AM

Say, what's a whipman?

CHEROSAGE · 11-23-2004, 03:57 AM

To over simplify an answer to your question. The whipman is the person that is in the position to control the dancers and activities inside the arena during a ceremonial.

Steve StopsOnTime · 11-23-2004, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHEROSAGE

To over simplify an answer to your question. The whipman is the person that is in the position to control the dancers and activities inside the arena during a ceremonial.

So what is an arena director??

sookout sh'nob · 11-23-2004, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve StopsOnTime

So what is an arena director??

I believe that is the guy whose job it is to wear the cowboy hat and talk to the ladies.

**WocusWoman** · 11-23-2004, 05:40 PM

This is a good subject to start on. I have twice been head-lady dancer here, and really enjoyed it, however I did not get to dance with my own kids who are still in the learning process of dancing properly. I have suggested that the powwow committee ask another(older) lady to do the job next time, but they are unsure that she would accept or be able to. Are there age limits for people that are asked to be head dancers? By the way; I was head dancer just for the kicks and giggles(I love to dance), the powwow I'm referring to does not give honorariums or have the extra funding. We have only had traditional powwows here.

Plenty Fox · 11-23-2004, 07:17 PM

This new forum and the threads it engenders are more germane to a 'Powwows.com' site than 'Chit Chat', etc. This is the type of forum where the value of this website can really be seen if it is used and appreciated correctly. With the recent kafuffle over appropriate posts, etc., I would just like to express the opinion that this website could retain its real value if it focused on the Pow-wow Talk, Pow-wow Reports and forums on dance styles, crafts and this head staff forum standing on those merits. Perhaps throwing in Native Issues would be valuable, but even without it the focus of the site is supposed to be pow-wow. It's no wonder that Paul may be getting burnt out having to run herd on a chatroom, esnag, chit chat forum, games, etc. There's such a thing as spreading oneself too thin. So, for what it is worth, Paul, this forum is an excellent addition to the site, etc.

WhoMe · 11-24-2004, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WocusWoman

This is a good subject to start on.
. . . I have suggested that the powwow committee ask another(older) lady to do the job next time, but they are unsure that she would accept or be able to. Are there age limits for people that are asked to be head dancers?

__

WocusW:

There is no standardized age limit to serving as or asking someone to be a head dancer.

This is an honorary position.

Some powwows have evolved so far as to have head dancers and head "elder" dancers.

The only hesitation to getting elder dancers to be on the head staff would be physical limitations.

**WocusWoman** · 11-24-2004, 01:34 PM

Thankyou, for your opinion. I have loved being the headlady dancer, but it kinda makes me feel overwhelmed, because I already run my family's vending table selling beadwork during the same weekend and have my own kids who are just learning to dance. It's just a matter of having a real lack of good dancers here in our area. Thankyou for this forum.

**Kiwehnzii** · 11-24-2004, 02:42 PM

WW, where are you located? I can guess Massachusets, Pennsylvania, Tennesee, Georgia. Am I close?

**ac_miss** · 11-24-2004, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sookout sh'nob

I believe that is the guy whose job it is to wear the cowboy hat and talk to the ladies.

**WocusWoman** · 11-24-2004, 03:48 PM

Not even near. I have lived in Alaska the last 15 yrs.

11-22-2004, 09:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
WhoMe PauWau Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Land of 370 Broken Treaties Posts: 5,442	Head Staff forum Greetings. We have opened a new forum to exchange information and discuss all the positions of the Head Staff. Included under this heading are: 1. Head Dancers (male, female, jrs. etc.) 2. Host and Invited Drums 3. Head Singers (usually a southern position) 4. Emcees (aka. Master of Ceremonies) 5. Arena Directors and whipmen/women 6. Head Veterans 7. Princesses Some of these questions may or may not have been addressed on other forums. Now there is a forum to address specific questions related to the Head Staff. We hope that powwow committees, first time head staff and many of you just starting to learn about head staff, can benefit from this forum. __________________ "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 Last edited by WhoMe; 11-24-2004 at 01:27 PM.

11-22-2004, 10:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
Mato Winyan Dancing makes you smile Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Indiana Posts: 5,477 Blog Entries: 4	woooo hooo!! :Thumbs __________________ "We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

11-23-2004, 03:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
CHEROSAGE Pow Wow Committee Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: , mo Posts: 1,318	To over simplify an answer to your question. The whipman is the person that is in the position to control the dancers and activities inside the arena during a ceremonial. __________________ BOB

11-23-2004, 05:40 PM	#7 (permalink)
WocusWoman N8tiffUmatillaMAMA Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Interior Alaska Posts: 2,693	This is a good subject to start on. I have twice been head-lady dancer here, and really enjoyed it, however I did not get to dance with my own kids who are still in the learning process of dancing properly. I have suggested that the powwow committee ask another(older) lady to do the job next time, but they are unsure that she would accept or be able to. Are there age limits for people that are asked to be head dancers? By the way; I was head dancer just for the kicks and giggles(I love to dance), the powwow I'm referring to does not give honorariums or have the extra funding. We have only had traditional powwows here. Last edited by WocusWoman; 11-23-2004 at 05:45 PM.

11-23-2004, 07:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
Plenty Fox meeeeeeeeeeee Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Upstairs Posts: 951	Right on! This new forum and the threads it engenders are more germane to a 'Powwows.com' site than 'Chit Chat', etc. This is the type of forum where the value of this website can really be seen if it is used and appreciated correctly. With the recent kafuffle over appropriate posts, etc., I would just like to express the opinion that this website could retain its real value if it focused on the Pow-wow Talk, Pow-wow Reports and forums on dance styles, crafts and this head staff forum standing on those merits. Perhaps throwing in Native Issues would be valuable, but even without it the focus of the site is supposed to be pow-wow. It's no wonder that Paul may be getting burnt out having to run herd on a chatroom, esnag, chit chat forum, games, etc. There's such a thing as spreading oneself too thin. So, for what it is worth, Paul, this forum is an excellent addition to the site, etc. __________________ Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai. The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well." The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

11-23-2004, 12:57 AM	#3 (permalink)
sookout sh'nob Boogie Monster Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 511	Say, what's a whipman?

11-24-2004, 01:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
WocusWoman N8tiffUmatillaMAMA Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Interior Alaska Posts: 2,693	Thankyou, for your opinion. I have loved being the headlady dancer, but it kinda makes me feel overwhelmed, because I already run my family's vending table selling beadwork during the same weekend and have my own kids who are just learning to dance. It's just a matter of having a real lack of good dancers here in our area. Thankyou for this forum.

11-24-2004, 02:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
Kiwehnzii Oldfart Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,858	WW, where are you located? I can guess Massachusets, Pennsylvania, Tennesee, Georgia. Am I close?

11-24-2004, 03:48 PM	#13 (permalink)
WocusWoman N8tiffUmatillaMAMA Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Interior Alaska Posts: 2,693	Not even near. I have lived in Alaska the last 15 yrs.