WhoMe

Flags and eagle staffs add to the grand entry and pageantry of today's modern powwows.

Let's talk flags and eagle staffs:

1. At an international powwow, is the American or Canadian flag more prominent?

2. Is the prominent national flag in the middle or outside right amidst other flags?

4. Does the eagle staff ALWAYS come before national flags.

5. Can a dance stick with eagle feathers serve as an eagle staff?

6. Are eagle staffs supposed to be held high and waved or held in place as the staff bearer dances?

7. What is the order for: State flags, tribal flags, service flags, host organization flags?

8. Service Flags: what is the order of service branch flags to be brought in? (ie. army, navy, airforce, marines, coast guard).

9. Are only veterans allowed to carry the American or Canadian flag?

10. When the Indian flag song is sung, what flags are tilted or lowered?

11. Did American Indians/First Nations ALWAYS hold the American/Canadian Flag in high esteem?

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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

CHEROSAGE

Good (?). I would think that if in Canada place the Canadian flag in the middle and off set the US flag. If in US place the US in the middle and the Canadian flag off set.

The NDN flag(s) should always be up front in the middle.

I think the US ARMY flag should have presidence over the other services, maybe the Navy could be next then the Marines, Airforce and the Coast Guard.

When the Flag Song is sung all flags except the National flag and the NDN flag(s) should be lowered.

Just my opinion.

I think that if you have Vets present use your Vets to carry the flags in.

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BOB

crazywolf

Boozhoo niji,

I am gonna take a pop shot at this one. I have been to a lot of pow wows in my 8 years of dancing, and I have seen a lot of different things, but I have seen a couple of things consistant through most of the pow wows I have been at.

I have always seen the eagle staff out front and held high. The dancer does not usually wave it around though.

Most of the time I have seen all of the flags lowered or tilted during the flag song, the American flag held higher though, and again the eagle staff held high.

I have seen the service flags behind the others, but usually you have the American flag, then the POW MIA flag and the American Indian flag (picture on the stars and bars) on either side, then service and branch flags in different orders behind that. I have been at a pow wow even where they brought in all 50 state flags. They circled the arena and formed the outermost circle in the grand entry.

Ok well I am interested to see what other people have to say on this one.

Derek

Zotigh

There is no 'formal' protocol for flags at native dances, so folks take the real protocols granted to the national flags and 'enhance' the rest from there.

It's a good question. Likely to draw as wide a number of views as there are in practice among the hosts organizing dances from coast to coast.

Here's one more opinion.


1. At an international powwow, is the American or Canadian flag more prominent?

Depending on the country in which the dance is held, the flag of that country should rightfully take first honour.


2. Is the prominent national flag in the middle or outside right amidst other flags?

According to that prominent nation's custom.


4. Does the eagle staff ALWAYS come before national flags.

Eagle staff is really not our 'flag'. For many of us, it is a paw-bone, typically a bent lance carried by our leaders. We respect the paw-bone, but honour our leaders to whom it belongs even more.


5. Can a dance stick with eagle feathers serve as an eagle staff?

Yep!


6. Are eagle staffs supposed to be held high and waved or held in place as the staff bearer dances?

See 4.


7. What is the order for: State flags, tribal flags, service flags, host organization flags?

Typically ranked by the populace they represent. National, State/tribal, service, organizations, then hosts.


8. Service Flags: what is the order of service branch flags to be brought in? (ie. army, navy, airforce, marines, coast guard).

All four abreast of eachother, is the typical way. (US)


9. Are only veterans allowed to carry the American or Canadian flag?

Nope. Those flags represent many many more folks than just us veterans.


10. When the Indian flag song is sung, what flags are tilted or lowered?

In the United States, the American flag is never lowed below another flag. I don't know what the Canadian custom would be.


11. Did American Indians/First Nations ALWAYS hold the American/Canadian Flag in high esteem?

hehe No.

But, in modern times, most of us veterans hold our flag in very high esteem, and take great pride in having served our country.

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Scott Zotigh
Kiowa Black Leggings
Kiowa Gourd Clan
Kiowa Tiah Piah
Kiowa Marine Veterans
American Indian Veterans

WhoMe

Some observations:

5. I have seen dance sticks with eagle feathers lead in grand entries.

6. When individual dancers carry eagle staffs some tend to have more movement than if a group of dancers bring in several eagle staffs at the same time. The most eagle staffs I have seen brought in at one time is seven. Has anybody seen more than this?

7. I think there is protocol when different branches are all involved in a parade or review. This is usually done for the President and heads of state. This protocol would also apply to a powwow? Anybody seen or participated in one of these reviews?

9. I have attended Canadian powwows where an American veteran could not be located therefore a dancer who is not a veteran was invited to carry the flag. Heck, I have even carried in the American flag in Canada! I have also seen in the United States where a Canadian veteran could not be identified and an Canadian elder was invited to carry the Canadian flag.

__________________
"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

Zotigh

The order of precedence when displaying military flags together is Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Except that Coast Guard moves up right behind Navy when the Coast Guard serves as a service of the Dept of the Navy in time of war.

Army comes first because it was created first, then the Marines, then the Navy. The Air Force follows, being a 'break off' of the Army Air Corp.

This may explain the order.

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Scott Zotigh
Kiowa Black Leggings
Kiowa Gourd Clan
Kiowa Tiah Piah
Kiowa Marine Veterans
American Indian Veterans

Zotigh

Just fyi...

The Marine Corps is actually about 20 years older than the US Navy, but in the early 1970's the Navy changed its "Date of Birth" to be earlier than the Marine Corp.

The Marine Corps. dates from 10 November, 1775. The Navy was approved by Congress some fourteen to fifteen years later in 1789-1790.

It was not until the early 1970's that the president changed the creation date of the navy to be one month earlier than the Marine Corps (It was Nixon...a Republican...happy?)

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Scott Zotigh
Kiowa Black Leggings
Kiowa Gourd Clan
Kiowa Tiah Piah
Kiowa Marine Veterans
American Indian Veterans

WhoMe

Pahbi,

Thanks for this information. It will be useful to arena directors to line up these flags in proper order at powwows and especially veteran's 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

sookout sh'nob

Right on, that is good stuff. Good to know the correct order (and learn a lil history to boot).

Most of the traditional powwows in our area don't fly any flags - I'ts just the eagle staves - so I'm real ignorant on flag protocol. Pelican Falls usually has an American and Canadian flag present... and I think they fly flags at Eagle Lake - but most of the reserves in our area don't fly them.

Mostly it depends on whose drum is the host drum - that drum keeper generally pulls duty as MC, arena director, and spiritual advisor as well. A few places even turn away drums that arent' traditional, nevermind flags that aren't traditional.

It's good to learn somthing like this without having leaving the house ! (I'm sick as heck today).