Dakota Wica'hpi Ina

My family and I love to dance, and my son's been doing Powwows since 5 days old. The question I have is what is the polite or proper way to tell a spectator to not touch your child? They won't touch adults or feel our regalia but man do they feel they have the right to do it to kids. His pic is in beaded sets for regalia. They like to try to "pet" his roach and feel his bustle.

andre

I would definitely handle it the same way you handle it if they touch you. *Politely* tell them to keep their grubby hands off (people never wash their hands anymore and beadwork is hard to clean!!!). If they are willing to extend that courtesy to you then they obviously know better, and it should not offend them to be corrected. Whilst I try to avoid doing things I know are wrong (like eating an entire tub of ice cream), sometimes I just lose control. Maybe you should take it as a compliment?

I get edgy when I have people pawing at my younger relations anyways (especially the cheek pinchers). Are you refering just to spectators?

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Dakota Wica'hpi Ina

Yes, it's the spectators! One Ojibwe guy told me that they must think if they pay to see us then they have rights over us.Other dancers treat children and elders with respect. Many times I've wanted to point to a dog in the crowd and tell them to pet it not my child! He's there to learn and be proud of his heritage- not be treated like an object or animal. Many dancers laugh and smile when really tiny tots are in the arena. They make us forget to be so serious and stoic. Tiny tots show us how much fun things are. I just find it hard to be polite to disrespectful people.

White Powwow Dancer

Hi
I had people touching my dance outfit too and I told them don't touch. If they continue to touch I whack thier hands.

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Asema Is Sacred
Traditional Use, Not Misuse
Wakan Tanka please have compassion on me.
OK Niji we are running a train with red over yellow at this powwow.

andre

Sadly, I too have had to give people a whack. I've even had people try to handle my dance stick while I was beading 2 feet away.

Of course when I said *politely* it was fairly tongue-in-cheek. The most important thing is to remain deadly calm, because it'll scare them more and they will remember the lesson much better (not that I'm trying to scare people).

"It's called common courtesy, if you'd shut up, I'd say it 50 times!" ~ Mr. Jameson, 8th grade.

PS: Try this, "My son is rabid and he hates strangers touching him. I just can't control him when he gets into one of his fits!"

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A tater tot is worth a thousand fries.

Dakota Wica'hpi Ina

I know they're cute but.........Don't touch! and if you want a picture ask!

Attached Images

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andre

Cute kid! But honestly, petting a roach? Solution to all the world's problems: butt-end of a dance stick.

I forget all the various groups, but many African and some Asian peoples still believe photography steals their souls (not sure how that one works). I even read about an incident a long time ago where a European explorer was chased and killed by some group he was researching after "sneaking" up on them and taking some pictures. Of course he probably did something else to them too....

__________________
A tater tot is worth a thousand fries.

White Powwow Dancer

Hi
A scare tactic Ive use my dance outfit is electrified don't touch or you get a shock.

__________________
Asema Is Sacred
Traditional Use, Not Misuse
Wakan Tanka please have compassion on me.
OK Niji we are running a train with red over yellow at this powwow.

redthunder

i usually just say, "This is extreamly sacred, please don't touch!"

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I'm interested more in self determination than gender equity. In other words, changing white men for white woman in the structures of power, does nothing to transform the opression in my community.


"You need to find yourself a girl, mate... Or, perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch, are you? [looks down]"
-Captain Jack Sparrow

Dakota Wica'hpi Ina

The sad part is that if they don't listen to the MC and/or read it in the program- do you really expect them to listen to and respect you???

White Powwow Dancer

__________________
Asema Is Sacred
Traditional Use, Not Misuse
Wakan Tanka please have compassion on me.
OK Niji we are running a train with red over yellow at this powwow.

White Powwow Dancer

You're Cruel andre

__________________
Asema Is Sacred
Traditional Use, Not Misuse
Wakan Tanka please have compassion on me.
OK Niji we are running a train with red over yellow at this powwow.

Dakota Wica'hpi Ina

Not cruel- Honest

Privateer6

Here are some Fun ways to handle it.

1. Go up to them and play with their heads, butts, breasts etc. saying "I've never felt a [what ever race] one before.

2. The last one to do that didn't survive the scalping.

3. Yeah my boy needs more hair to make a longer roach, your's loog good enough, come here, it won't hurt.

OK SERIOUS ones

1. Instill the fear of God in them and tell them NEVER touch.

2. Ask them how they woudl feel if they were felt all over. If they say they wouldn't mind, then feel them up.

3. Tell them that touching your son is inappropriate and that you will sue them for sexual molestation.

Just my $.02