quicksilverwade

Yes I am and in showing my agreement with you, I changed my deleterious post from the other thread on "contest." So I am 100% agreeable today.

Kakeeya

I noticed!! Yayyyyyyyy!!

:Chatter :)

quicksilverwade

Thanks and for my cooperation I shall heed any advice from you in the near future. As for the far future, I can't say, lol.

WhoMe

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Okay you two...

Because you two have FINALLY agreed to agree. . .


"There are record snow storms in the midwest, tornados in the south, Mt. Snt. Helens is about to arrupt and hell just froze over."

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"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

quicksilverwade

Those record snow storms hit Southern California last week and brought our snow elevation down to about 4,000 feet or lower. I live in Upland, CA which is at the foothills of the San Bernardino mountains and boy was it COLD! It must've been 45 degrees fahrenheit on Sunday morning, lol.

Mato Winyan

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"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

badmaninc

Cool sign. Not meaning to rain on anybody's parade or anything but back to the point. I have been both an MC and A.D. and whipman in BC. I have worked both traditional and contest powwows. Probably the best time I ever had I was paid $15.00 for six hours work at a mini-powwow. They were a bunch of high school students and they had no budget. 5 kids pitched in $3.00 apiece to pay me. I thought that was real cool, I tried to tell them they didn't have to pay me and that I was honoured to help them out. The oldest student insisted and said it wouldn't be right to give me an honourarium for helping them out. The whipman got $10.00 and he was really happy too. They treated us real good, brought us food, coffee and anything we wanted. I have never been made to feel so special by some students. I should tell you that I was only abot 32 myself at the time, so I wasn't that much older than them. I have also been an arena director at a couple of places where some drum groups have been related to the powwow committee and that was a drag. They didn't like to listen. I had asked for a specific song and they totally disrespected me and sang a different song. The MC saw this and he was a very well known lead singer from a group. He put them at the bottom of the drum order and skipped them a couple of rounds, both I/Ts and contest. When the lead singer came and asked why he had done this, the MC told him that they had behaved in a very disrespectful manner to the whipman. I explained to the singer when he came to talk to me that his family had honoured me by asking me to do a job for them this weekend and that by him disregarding everything that I had asked was very disrespectful. He sort of apologized to me, I had a good time for the rest of the weekend though. It just seems like some people have to make waves just to ruin things.

Drippin With Beads

Just ran across this thread. Great subject to discuss! Please stay with me if you can, as I get long-winded with subjects I feel strongly about.

Deep in my heart I feel that we have become too conscious of the $$$$$$. I know some dancers, including friends of mine that will not attend a Powwow unless the prize money is good and singers that won’t go unless their drum is paid. This part of the Powwow world saddens me. Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoy going to major contest Powwows. It is great to see and dance in an arena filled with dancers and a dozen or more drums. However, the best Powwows I have attended in my life have been smaller, benefit, honor, or family dances. Everyone is relaxed, friendly and only there to enjoy each other and the Powwow. No one is paid ( a blanket dance for the drums maybe ), and it is what the “Powwow” was meant to be.

Ok, time for present reality; “Money Powwows” are here to stay. Again I have to say that I really enjoy the large Powwow. Lots of good dancers, great drums, good traders, food… It really is a great time had by all. I have been MC, AD, Head Dancer at different Powwows in my life. First and foremost I look at it as an honor to be asked, and money has never been an issue of mine to accept this honor. However, if a committee is going to ask certain people to be head staff at a big money Powwow, then I feel that some monetary considerations should be given. Lets face it, head staff and the drums do bring people to that particular dance. You get some top drums, a great MC, and Arena Director, and you will have a larger turn out. It normally means more income for the organization putting it on.

If a Powwow is going to pay money to dancers for contesting, some should also be paid for the head staff and invited drums. If it is not a $ contest Powwow then probably not and the people and drums should (in some cases) come do their part to help. I think that is the belief of most MC’s, AD’s, Head Dancers and Drums. But if the money is there to pay for contesting dancers, the staff and drums are working hard to make it a good Powwow and should be paid for their time and expertise.

****by the way- great sign Mato!!!!

CHEROSAGE

This is true. If the committee is going to have a contest then the staff should be gifted well and appropriately. I will go to a contest and will even contest myself. I prefer the family sized dances.

I have been asked to help on the head staff, when ever I'm gifted I never look how much. I simply give it to my wife to hold and am greatful for what ever it may be. I really prefer to camp at the dance than accept rooms from the committee. That is just more money the committee can use for the dances expences. I know what the expences can be like.

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BOB

WhoMe

OOOOKKaaaaaaaay........... :devil

So what I hear some people saying is money should not be a factor in being a on the head staff.


Hmmmm....

With this way of thinking........



What if you got A LOT less money that other head staff or maybe just a handshake and pat on the back? (such as the other head staff got $1000 and you got $25), even though you had danced your heart out and travelled a great distance with your family?

Then would it matter?

__________________
"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

NDNKIDZ

For mr personally? No... I dont care what others get and i did not.. i dont think that way...lol i am always happy to be asked, and hey i get to travel make some new friends and have a wonderful memory....I know I know.. im a sap..lol

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

CHEROSAGE

Whome: I think that if the committee is able and will share gifts with the headstaff that all headstaff should share appropriately(equally).

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BOB

Lil Stinker

I agree. All head staff have to be there all the time and be on the ball for whatever duties they perform.

WhoMe