powwow ways - Page 2

WhoMe · 07-18-2003, 04:51 PM

Hey OniedaNmenom: I'm with you on this one.

Cree_Warrior 10: If you believe what you wrote . . .
"Boy, do I have a country club property to sell you on the Pine Ridge Rezzz!!!!!!"

EducatedNdN: So you wanted the peeps to circle da' Wagon Train? I think you accomplished this

07-18-2003, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WhoMe
Hey OniedaNmenom: I'm with you on this one.

Cree_Warrior 10: If you believe what you wrote . . .
"Boy, do I have a country club property to sell you on the Pine Ridge Rezzz!!!!!!"

EducatedNdN: So you wanted the peeps to circle da' Wagon Train? I think you accomplished this

*lol* ok

Nishnawbe10 · 07-18-2003, 07:58 PM

My wife wrote this paper for her college essay, so I give her information on powwows, so she wrote it in her own words and what it meant. Information that was taught to me by my late father and Grand Father, my Grandfather was born in mid 1800's and father was born in 1920, grandfather die in world war two in over seas and father was young at the time. Long ago my Grandfather would hide the children, so the Canadian Government wouldn’t kidnap them and put them in residential schools’, my father was one of the children. Hmmmm There were Powwow events long ago that are same as we all have today. When I was in Quebec, Algonquin man who was my father friend told me that meaning of powwow and how is change over the years and what the word meant. Yes my teachings are very old and never got any of it out of any book… and by the way my wife and me own 10 acres of land on Pine Ridge Reservation. Today Powwow is not the same ceremony it was ten years ago or 20 or30 years ago, it change alot over the years. keep them coming...

**LittleCricket** · 07-21-2003, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mato Winyan
(The four directions are West, East, South and North. ) Now that is some useful info! )

Am I the only one that disagrees with this? :thinking

#1- Drums don't "PLAY"

#2- a shawl is NOT 6 yrds of material.

#3- the men should not just wear "whatever they feel comfortable in"..... that would be boxers or cut off sweats, wouldn't it? ayyyyyee

#4- desirable... but this person has not obviously been around drums. :Tongue

cree_warrior10, how come you haven't answered this post??

Mato ,once again I have to agree w/you(but you know what a mato wannabe I am ;) :p ;) )

lightening_woman · 07-21-2003, 10:52 AM

#1 maybe the person was a frybread momma that needed the 6 yards of material you never know , It normally takes 2 yards for adults and 1 1/2 for children. or maybe it was a typo.

#2 maybe you haven't been to many ceromonies the drums do play

#3 aren't to many drummers that are in regalia around a drum they are in jeans and shirt for comfort

It is easy to critize and make fun of others everyone makes mistakes.

:D

Jammer · 07-21-2003, 03:56 PM

LOL your not seroius are you lightening woman? Come on how many times a year do you see all the drums singing the same song at the same time? Maybe at GON or redearth or schemitzun but thats about it when it comes to powwowin. And as for the comfort thing around the drum. LOL mato has it right. You telling me that you feel more comfortable in jeans and a shirt instead of shorts or sweats? And she wasn't making fun of them persay, she was just informing them in a kindly nonconfrontational way! :LOL: I mean if cree was the one that was giving the info to his wife or whoever you would think he knows what hes talking about, but for someone that sposidly owns land on pr and what not he or she knows little about the powwowin life.

Oh an mato never makes fun of anyone, ennit that right mato! :)

Nishnawbe10 · 07-21-2003, 05:34 PM

Well Jammer dink. I traveled and went to many Powwows right across Canada and the US .I sang with many drum groups over the years. My father was a singer also and taught me many great things about my culture and had the chance to learn about other native culture in my in lifetime. But in your own word tell me what you know and think what powwow is all about. Be waiting now :o

Running_Bird · 07-21-2003, 07:29 PM

Thanks for the info and the additionally informative replies.

I have been considering taking my sons (8yr old and 17mo old) to a PowWow and was wondering how others feel about children present.
My kids are very well behaved and I very much want them to learn something of their heritage, but I have seen very little reference to kids present at these gatherings.

:Jumping:

RunningBird

lightening_woman · 07-21-2003, 08:10 PM

:o Well how would I know what a man feels more comfortable in I'm not one.:Chatter but maybe they might feel more comfortable in breech clothes lol lol haven't seen any in sweats just shorts with shirt or jeans and shirt.

;)

Jammer · 07-22-2003, 12:39 AM

Family/Friend reunion. A place to have fun let go and get reaquainted. Thats it, nothing more. If it was actually meant for more you think we would have the snaggin goin on or the lip pointin contest or the 9s or any of that? Granted there are times within the reuion or what ever you want to call it that honor and respect must me showed above all but that goes all through life no matter where you go.
I'm glad you were taught alot from your father, now adays not many get the teachings handed down like that. But in many cultures its not the great things that make the people or their way of life the way it is.(If that makes sense) Like no adays many people want to be ndn and what not but they only want to learn the "cool" things and leave the rest, well its not the cool things that make us who we are. Its the whole package that makes a person and a people who they are. From what I've been told powwows were never meant to be spiritual or ceremonious. They were only gatherings for families, clans and or nations to come together and have a good time, maybe learn a few things from one another. With that being said we have to keep our selfs from fusing the two together(powwows/gatherings and ceremonies).
One thing that I don't quite understand is why the grounds are blessed. If you look at a powwow as being a gathering the only reason(s) I can find for blessing the grounds would be one of two things 1. In case an eagle feather is dropped, but in that case I can't help but wonder what is done when one might find an eagle feather while walking perhaps one that has been molted, I mean if no veterans are around how can a retreival dance be done? 2. Perhaps because of the drums being set in the middle or within the circle,but then again the drums never actually set physically on the ground.

07-22-2003, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EducatedNdN
Powwows are a joke to all involved. A time for NdNs to be NdN for the day or weekend. A time for beautiful NdN women to fall into the trap of falling for a dancer or drummer just because she has low self-esteem. A powwow is a time for the NdN brothers to abuse their status as a dancer or drummer to get their weekend snags on with our NdN women who deserve so much more. A powwow is a time for the NdN people to fall victim to Western train of thought and "get rich" quick in a weekend and if you don't win then to backstab against your "friends" if they beat you out. I don't attend powwows for all these reasons.

excuse me?!!! powows arent a joke ...yay lately they're some powwows that are too commercial...but are you ruling out tradish powwows...where poeple dance to have fun cuz theres no money involved...man you just tore my heart out cuz ive been dancing all my life and i enjoy every minute of it..i guess now youll say that fancy shawl is a joke eh? ive been told that before by a professor and fancy shawl aint no joke thats for sure...powwows arent something to be riducled just because some are way too commercial...common there was a time when many of us native didnt like the fact and wasnt proud of who we are...and since powwows made a come back more natives are becoming proud of the the fact of being native...my grandpa was one of them at one time but still passed on traditon..the only time he would hide what he is...was when he tried to get a job when nobody during that time would hire natives cuz of thier race..needlesstosay he wasnt very sucessful at all... well you have a right entitled to your own opnion but im just astonished by your remark..becca

08-07-2003, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oneidaNmenom
Algonquin ~~>thats the language the Menominess speak

Omaeqnemenew <--Menominee, in our OWN language, although it is considered an Algonquin language, and have very similiar words to Ojibwe, Cree, and Meskwakis can supposedly be understood by us. Menominees are an indigenous tribe of Wisconsin, which means we were not moved, our roaming lands were reduced by millions of acres, however, we are in our original homeland.

creehawklady · 08-26-2003, 01:54 AM

All your opinions are good opinions.

Powwows are commercial. Powwows can be traditional. But all Powwows are Gatherings. They are there for our People to come together and visit and gather and trade and whatnot and I believe someone said that already.

Here's something someone hasn't said.

"Traditional" powwows aren't really traditional. A truly Traditional Powwow is a Contest Powwow because that's basically why Powwows came about. We gathered to have fun, visit, and Compete.

And yes there is the bad side to powwows, like fixed powwow's, people using their "status" to snag, cheating, homewrecking...LOL... but there is no good without the bad.

That's the teachings and humble opinion of this little Northern Cree Lady.

spicysouthern · 08-26-2003, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by creehawklady

And yes there is the bad side to powwows, people using their "status" to snag, cheating, homewrecking...LOL... but there is no good without the bad.

bad if your the one being cheated on

08-26-2003, 04:47 PM

Ok, I am not one to get on anyone here or anywhere else, but I would like to say that educatedndn doesn’t seem to be… he seems like an extremely bitter person that hates his own kind. Why does he even show up here? I will give him that he does rile up everyone and gives good discussion. He also in a way unites the rest of us, as we all round up against him. But his views on everything (and I did read through all of his posts) seem to be anti-native. What is up with that? in this day we all need to stick together and up for each other, not bringing each other down, or just always pointing out the negative, every culture has negative points, but it is up to all of us as a whole to reverse all these negative portrayals that they put on natives!!! I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs; I am married to a wonderful native man, and we are expecting our first child. We work hard so we can give her all we can and raise her to respect her elders and others, and to honor and cherish her heritage. Also when we go to pow wow we go with the idea of having fun, not hooking up with anyone at all. Just because this has happened to him doesn’t mean that everyone is like this!!! When I hear people speaking like this it makes me wonder what kind of people they really are~ if they would talk about others they don’t even know and generalize them like this. I would say that educatedndn just needs to look inward at himself and realize what his own problems are, instead of taking out all his rage at everyone else. This is coming from someone who is NDN all the time, not just when I pow wow or gather!!!

ron red eagle · 08-26-2003, 05:14 PM

Very well written,

Thank you for sharing.

Ron Red eagle

Speedy™ · 08-26-2003, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TananaNative
Ok, I am not one to get on anyone here or anywhere else, but I would like to say that educatedndn doesn’t seem to be… he seems like an extremely bitter person that hates his own kind. Why does he even show up here? I will give him that he does rile up everyone and gives good discussion. He also in a way unites the rest of us, as we all round up against him. But his views on everything (and I did read through all of his posts) seem to be anti-native. What is up with that? in this day we all need to stick together and up for each other, not bringing each other down, or just always pointing out the negative, every culture has negative points, but it is up to all of us as a whole to reverse all these negative portrayals that they put on natives!!! I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs; I am married to a wonderful native man, and we are expecting our first child. We work hard so we can give her all we can and raise her to respect her elders and others, and to honor and cherish her heritage. Also when we go to pow wow we go with the idea of having fun, not hooking up with anyone at all. Just because this has happened to him doesn’t mean that everyone is like this!!! When I hear people speaking like this it makes me wonder what kind of people they really are~ if they would talk about others they don’t even know and generalize them like this. I would say that educatedndn just needs to look inward at himself and realize what his own problems are, instead of taking out all his rage at everyone else. This is coming from someone who is NDN all the time, not just when I pow wow or gather!!!

Thats my baby! Now youse guys now why I don't argue with her.:p

07-18-2003, 07:58 PM	#23 (permalink)
Nishnawbe10 Proud Nish from Canada Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Canada and the USA. Posts: 165	reply My wife wrote this paper for her college essay, so I give her information on powwows, so she wrote it in her own words and what it meant. Information that was taught to me by my late father and Grand Father, my Grandfather was born in mid 1800's and father was born in 1920, grandfather die in world war two in over seas and father was young at the time. Long ago my Grandfather would hide the children, so the Canadian Government wouldn’t kidnap them and put them in residential schools’, my father was one of the children. Hmmmm There were Powwow events long ago that are same as we all have today. When I was in Quebec, Algonquin man who was my father friend told me that meaning of powwow and how is change over the years and what the word meant. Yes my teachings are very old and never got any of it out of any book… and by the way my wife and me own 10 acres of land on Pine Ridge Reservation. Today Powwow is not the same ceremony it was ten years ago or 20 or30 years ago, it change alot over the years. keep them coming... Last edited by Nishnawbe10; 07-18-2003 at 08:34 PM.

07-21-2003, 10:52 AM	#25 (permalink)
lightening_woman Tiny Tot Dancer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: in the north Posts: 28	shawl essay #1 maybe the person was a frybread momma that needed the 6 yards of material you never know , It normally takes 2 yards for adults and 1 1/2 for children. or maybe it was a typo. #2 maybe you haven't been to many ceromonies the drums do play #3 aren't to many drummers that are in regalia around a drum they are in jeans and shirt for comfort It is easy to critize and make fun of others everyone makes mistakes. :D __________________ lightening_woman

07-21-2003, 03:56 PM	#26 (permalink)
Jammer Teen Dancer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Indianapolis,IN Posts: 252 Blog Entries: 1	LOL your not seroius are you lightening woman? Come on how many times a year do you see all the drums singing the same song at the same time? Maybe at GON or redearth or schemitzun but thats about it when it comes to powwowin. And as for the comfort thing around the drum. LOL mato has it right. You telling me that you feel more comfortable in jeans and a shirt instead of shorts or sweats? And she wasn't making fun of them persay, she was just informing them in a kindly nonconfrontational way! :LOL: I mean if cree was the one that was giving the info to his wife or whoever you would think he knows what hes talking about, but for someone that sposidly owns land on pr and what not he or she knows little about the powwowin life. Oh an mato never makes fun of anyone, ennit that right mato! :) __________________ There should be a law against stupid people being able to breed!

07-21-2003, 05:34 PM	#27 (permalink)
Nishnawbe10 Proud Nish from Canada Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Canada and the USA. Posts: 165	Well Jammer dink. I traveled and went to many Powwows right across Canada and the US .I sang with many drum groups over the years. My father was a singer also and taught me many great things about my culture and had the chance to learn about other native culture in my in lifetime. But in your own word tell me what you know and think what powwow is all about. Be waiting now :o Last edited by Nishnawbe10; 07-21-2003 at 05:40 PM.

07-21-2003, 07:29 PM	#28 (permalink)
Running_Bird Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Jeffersonville, IN Posts: 3	newbie2 Thanks for the info and the additionally informative replies. I have been considering taking my sons (8yr old and 17mo old) to a PowWow and was wondering how others feel about children present. My kids are very well behaved and I very much want them to learn something of their heritage, but I have seen very little reference to kids present at these gatherings. :Jumping: RunningBird

07-18-2003, 04:51 PM	#21 (permalink)
WhoMe PauWau Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Land of 370 Broken Treaties Posts: 5,560	Hey OniedaNmenom: I'm with you on this one. Cree_Warrior 10: If you believe what you wrote . . . "Boy, do I have a country club property to sell you on the Pine Ridge Rezzz!!!!!!" EducatedNdN: So you wanted the peeps to circle da' Wagon Train? I think you accomplished this

07-21-2003, 08:10 PM	#29 (permalink)
lightening_woman Tiny Tot Dancer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: in the north Posts: 28	shawl essay :o Well how would I know what a man feels more comfortable in I'm not one.:Chatter but maybe they might feel more comfortable in breech clothes lol lol haven't seen any in sweats just shorts with shirt or jeans and shirt. ;) __________________ lightening_woman

07-22-2003, 12:39 AM	#30 (permalink)
Jammer Teen Dancer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Indianapolis,IN Posts: 252 Blog Entries: 1	Family/Friend reunion. A place to have fun let go and get reaquainted. Thats it, nothing more. If it was actually meant for more you think we would have the snaggin goin on or the lip pointin contest or the 9s or any of that? Granted there are times within the reuion or what ever you want to call it that honor and respect must me showed above all but that goes all through life no matter where you go. I'm glad you were taught alot from your father, now adays not many get the teachings handed down like that. But in many cultures its not the great things that make the people or their way of life the way it is.(If that makes sense) Like no adays many people want to be ndn and what not but they only want to learn the "cool" things and leave the rest, well its not the cool things that make us who we are. Its the whole package that makes a person and a people who they are. From what I've been told powwows were never meant to be spiritual or ceremonious. They were only gatherings for families, clans and or nations to come together and have a good time, maybe learn a few things from one another. With that being said we have to keep our selfs from fusing the two together(powwows/gatherings and ceremonies). One thing that I don't quite understand is why the grounds are blessed. If you look at a powwow as being a gathering the only reason(s) I can find for blessing the grounds would be one of two things 1. In case an eagle feather is dropped, but in that case I can't help but wonder what is done when one might find an eagle feather while walking perhaps one that has been molted, I mean if no veterans are around how can a retreival dance be done? 2. Perhaps because of the drums being set in the middle or within the circle,but then again the drums never actually set physically on the ground. __________________ There should be a law against stupid people being able to breed!

08-26-2003, 01:54 AM	#33 (permalink)
creehawklady Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 12	All your opinions are good opinions. Powwows are commercial. Powwows can be traditional. But all Powwows are Gatherings. They are there for our People to come together and visit and gather and trade and whatnot and I believe someone said that already. Here's something someone hasn't said. "Traditional" powwows aren't really traditional. A truly Traditional Powwow is a Contest Powwow because that's basically why Powwows came about. We gathered to have fun, visit, and Compete. And yes there is the bad side to powwows, like fixed powwow's, people using their "status" to snag, cheating, homewrecking...LOL... but there is no good without the bad. That's the teachings and humble opinion of this little Northern Cree Lady.

08-26-2003, 04:47 PM	#35 (permalink)
TananaNative Guest Posts: n/a	Ok, I am not one to get on anyone here or anywhere else, but I would like to say that educatedndn doesn’t seem to be… he seems like an extremely bitter person that hates his own kind. Why does he even show up here? I will give him that he does rile up everyone and gives good discussion. He also in a way unites the rest of us, as we all round up against him. But his views on everything (and I did read through all of his posts) seem to be anti-native. What is up with that? in this day we all need to stick together and up for each other, not bringing each other down, or just always pointing out the negative, every culture has negative points, but it is up to all of us as a whole to reverse all these negative portrayals that they put on natives!!! I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs; I am married to a wonderful native man, and we are expecting our first child. We work hard so we can give her all we can and raise her to respect her elders and others, and to honor and cherish her heritage. Also when we go to pow wow we go with the idea of having fun, not hooking up with anyone at all. Just because this has happened to him doesn’t mean that everyone is like this!!! When I hear people speaking like this it makes me wonder what kind of people they really are~ if they would talk about others they don’t even know and generalize them like this. I would say that educatedndn just needs to look inward at himself and realize what his own problems are, instead of taking out all his rage at everyone else. This is coming from someone who is NDN all the time, not just when I pow wow or gather!!!

08-26-2003, 05:14 PM	#36 (permalink)
ron red eagle Champion Dancer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Tenn Posts: 1,183	Very well written, Thank you for sharing. Ron Red eagle __________________ Ezaasakwaadek-bkwezhigan ndaa miijin ~Though I wear a shirt and tie I'm still part red man deep inside!~ <Paul Revere and the Raiders> A very wise old Chief (Archie Mosay) once said to listen carefully when a White man tells you specifically that he won't do this or that, because more often than not he is telling you EXACTLY what he IS about to do.