Family Members that DONT pow-wow - Page 2

SmokeEater · 03-29-2004, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by softwind

I have a sister who is a Jehovah's Witness and she will not let her children dance at Pow-Wow's her explenation is she thinks

it's aginst her religion, and I feel so sorry for the kids because they LOVE it.

HAH!! I was raised a JW and had quite the opposite upbringing. My folks were a little bit more liberal than that average Witness family, and when they found out that Powwow'ing had nothing to do with Satan and Devil worship they didn't mind at all. Especially since my mother got me and my sister into it.

None of my mothers family will because they're still devout Jay Dub Bible thumpers.

The only thing that sucked about it was trying to make Noon or 1pm Grand Entry on Saturday Morning, when I was busy knocking on someones door trying to move a Watchtower.

Softwind... if you want to know how to talk to them PM me.

SmokeEater · 03-29-2004, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homalosa

but Jehovah's Witness don't celebrate culture at all. They don't even celebrate holidays and birthdays!

True and not true. Yeah they don't celebrate birthdays or any holidays. In 23 years I never had a birthday party or even recieved any acknowledgment of the day my mother pushed and squeezed me into this world until this year... and even this year I got a "Happy Birthday" from a Non-JW friend (about 75% of the people I know/knew are JW's- since I am no longer a JW they are not allowed to speak to me anymore- this includes members of my family- except my parents and sister. So I don't talk to a lot of people anymore.)

The only "Holiday" they celebrate is the anniversary of the Last Supper- known to Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide as "The Memorial". It coincides with the Jewish Passover and all it basically entails is going to the Kingdom Hall after sunset, for about an hour, and listening to someone talk about the Jesus Christ, Jehovah, and the Last Supper. Finally they pass around plate with pieces of unleaven bread, and a glass of non-alcholic wine (a la the Last Supper when Jesus said the bread is my body, and the wine is my blood yadda, yadda). The only people who are allowed to eat of the bread and drink the wine are the "Annointed" who are of the 144,000 that Jehovahs Witnesses believe will be going to Heaven when they die.

As far as culture goes... JW's celebrate cultural diversity as long as it does not have any obvious religous overtones, and does not conflict greatly with their doctrine and dogma. Sometimes we'd have culture days where we would demonstrate different songs, dances, and art work from our specific background...

Sorry to digress from the intended topic of this thread.

dancingbeauty · 03-29-2004, 06:13 PM

I'm the only one powwowing in my family. I just felt that it was important for me to do. But I do wish my old man would become more involved. He use to drum about 6 years ago but no longer does that or attends powwows anymore. I think its kinda sad. :( I try to tell him that it is very important for our future kids. It's important that we keep our traditions and pass them on.

Homalosa · 03-29-2004, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokeEater

Sorry to digress from the intended topic of this thread.

no worries, the sorry is my bad, not yours. Thanks for clearing me up though!

**Dancin by the bay** · 04-05-2004, 02:39 PM

Some do some don't but most don't in my family now. They go some times but when I was a younger my parents would take me and my dad would dance some times. I went some times during my college days but never week end after week end. My cousin will go once in a while with me but every one is busy with other things they don't pow wow. I'm learning so much from this site its making things clearer for me and why things are and how they came about.

:flaming:

storm · 04-05-2004, 03:06 PM

My Creek grandparents did not powow because they thought it was not a part of their culture back then. They did not like it that my other folks danced. thought it was a corruption of our culture. They only danced at the green corn.

acgal · 04-21-2004, 04:46 PM

My little family dances and my sister. My husband doesn't dance but he can pack a car in 3.5 minutes!!! :Chatter Gotta love him!!!

But as for my whole family. There is only a few. Most of them danced when they were younger but no longer do!! I do have a few cousins that do sing though.

Nashoba · 04-21-2004, 07:19 PM

My situation I think is weird. I was a closet dancer.....LOL.....I am adopted two times over, and now a lot older. My first family was Native and the second were white missionaries. And, here I am starting out trying to learn how to cloth dance. My native adoptive mother used to live with the Sac and Fox for years and danced and was NAC. But, when she became "christian" she quit dancing and practicing NAC. I was adopted after she had already quit. So, she wouldn't let me dance, but she did teach me about traditions. I wanted to learn so bad I did it on the sly. I would go to powwows with my friends. Well, I was elected many, many years ago...Powwow princess b/c I used to dance fancy dance. She had a problems with it but let me continue my reign. Now, here I am older and trying to learn to dance tradish. I have to teach myself and watch at the powwows to learn. Oh! the white missionaries would not even let me near a powwow they condemned it.

Get this, I am going to the Stanford powwow to dance with a brother I have never met b/c of adoption. And, my white adopted mom lives in San Francisco, and I won't let her know I am even in the area. She would start telling me all the traditions are wrong, etc.... She doesn't even know I started dancing. I can't tell her and here I am in my 40's....go figure....

I have a lot of Kiowa family that don't dance b/c they are "Christians" and don't go near the powwows,but when I am at home in OK I will go. When I get home afterwards they won't talk to me...Sometimes, I think being Christian warps the ways of our people and it forces us to lose who we are really are...I feel inside I am a dancer in my heart, I may not be good at it, but I sure do love it....

So, I need all your help...I feel at home being in the ring and want to continue dancing, but I need someone to teach me, but I am in an area that doesn't have too many tradish dancers...

Help!

TacO5000 · 04-22-2004, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwehnzii

I have been going for years. Longer than some of you kids have been living. I met my wife there.

Both of us have many family members that don't powwow. That's cool with me. People don't have to go to powwows to be Indian. Us powwowers are no better than them. The thing is to respect each person as individual and live and let live.

If someone wants to understand of what we do and possibly want to do something like dance or sing, I try to help. I do not actively go out recruiting people.

As much as I would love to dance with my brothers, I don't think that will happen. They are both older than me. One does dance, intertribally, without an outfit. He loves it. My other brother just loves to hunt and he's good at it. They have their own way of practicing our culture.

Powwowing is not the end-all of Native culture. It's only a part. Mii-owh.

A-HO I also belive that It don't make you any more or any less indian if you don't participate in powwows. I know people that think if you don't powwow your not NDN's I say forget those who think like that. Not all my relations Powwow thats what they choose. I say to each his own.

Lakota~Jen · 04-22-2004, 12:36 PM

....Wow i have never heard of Christians not letting their Native Christians go to powwows. Going to powwows is apart of Native's culture, if that happened to me, it would be like taking apart of myself away. I'm a Christian (Mormon/Lds to be specific), and sometimes the missionaries come to the powwows themselves. I'm sorry about that, I also dance Tradish, but I don't think i live close enough to teach you. I just wanted to say hang in there!

WhoMe · 04-22-2004, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theepowwowchic49

I have this one cousin that asked me if I wanted to go down to Cali thisweekend for one of their pow wows. But the thing is the girl dont pow wow at all. So she sits and talks real loud asking questions here and there and I want to tell her cousin shut up already and just watch I will explain latre.

Does any one else have family like this or am I the only one blessed with such family?

___

tpwchic:

I may have a solution. . .

If she is single I can set my cousin up with your cousin and they can go somewhere behind the bleachers and be as loud as they want!

*L

j/k

**Azhe'ni** · 04-22-2004, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theepowwowchic49

I have this one cousin that asked me if I wanted to go down to Cali thisweekend for one of their pow wows. But the thing is the girl dont pow wow at all. So she sits and talks real loud asking questions here and there and I want to tell her cousin shut up already and just watch I will explain latre.

Does any one else have family like this or am I the only one blessed with such family?

Tell her how you really feel. Don't lie it will just get all ugly. I bet she rather you tell her the truth than think that behind her back.

frybreadboogie72 · 04-22-2004, 06:35 PM

Well I would like to say, I Powwow every chance I get and now teaching my lil girl and nephew!!! I lost my mom due to cancer and back in 96 and every since then I kinda slacked off going to Powwows because she was the only one I went with, but now I am making my way back and I feel good about it all and it's really not as hard as I thought it would be sitting there or dancing without her...out of 8 kids I'm the only one that goes...My moms family that live here in Oklahoma don't go to them, but I do believe her one brother that doesn't live here in Okla. does go and one day I hope to see him,my aunt and cousin at a Powwow.

ironrose · 05-11-2004, 03:03 PM

:chief: I know this is an old thread but I just stumpled on to it and I have to respond to softwind's predicament concerning her sister's children prohibited from attending powwows. I too got guss bumps when I read it. It is sad to hear about close-minded people transferring ignorence onto the children-As we know it is indeed the role of caregivers to provide their children-when young-with the necessary tools which are needed in order to live life to its fullest. But when a parent overtly and deliberately holds a child back from exploring his/her culture;or other cultures for that matter, based on the premise that it is in violation of their own religion-Well then, ostensibly that person has major issues and that type of parenting is sure to back fire one day. I hope for the sake of the children involved that the adult in charge changes their outlook quickly. This world is already filled with ignorent people we don't need anymore thrown into the mix. I wish them the best of luck;and my advice is simple:open your heart and let it guide you.

Taushina · 06-09-2004, 07:37 PM

I'm Christian and I love to powwow!!!! :Thumbs :Thumbs

04-05-2004, 03:06 PM	#26 (permalink)
storm Teen Dancer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 424	My Creek grandparents did not powow because they thought it was not a part of their culture back then. They did not like it that my other folks danced. thought it was a corruption of our culture. They only danced at the green corn. __________________ My bark is worse than my bite

04-21-2004, 04:46 PM	#27 (permalink)
acgal Experienced Dancer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Livin' it up in the south Posts: 242	My little family dances and my sister. My husband doesn't dance but he can pack a car in 3.5 minutes!!! :Chatter Gotta love him!!! But as for my whole family. There is only a few. Most of them danced when they were younger but no longer do!! I do have a few cousins that do sing though. __________________ :huddle: Learn to associate with the white man, learn his ways, get an education. With an education, you are his equal; without it, you are his victim. - Chief Plenty Coups, Crow

04-21-2004, 07:19 PM	#28 (permalink)
Nashoba Shighee Hoyo Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: AZ/MX Border Posts: 45	Family and Powwows My situation I think is weird. I was a closet dancer.....LOL.....I am adopted two times over, and now a lot older. My first family was Native and the second were white missionaries. And, here I am starting out trying to learn how to cloth dance. My native adoptive mother used to live with the Sac and Fox for years and danced and was NAC. But, when she became "christian" she quit dancing and practicing NAC. I was adopted after she had already quit. So, she wouldn't let me dance, but she did teach me about traditions. I wanted to learn so bad I did it on the sly. I would go to powwows with my friends. Well, I was elected many, many years ago...Powwow princess b/c I used to dance fancy dance. She had a problems with it but let me continue my reign. Now, here I am older and trying to learn to dance tradish. I have to teach myself and watch at the powwows to learn. Oh! the white missionaries would not even let me near a powwow they condemned it. Get this, I am going to the Stanford powwow to dance with a brother I have never met b/c of adoption. And, my white adopted mom lives in San Francisco, and I won't let her know I am even in the area. She would start telling me all the traditions are wrong, etc.... She doesn't even know I started dancing. I can't tell her and here I am in my 40's....go figure.... I have a lot of Kiowa family that don't dance b/c they are "Christians" and don't go near the powwows,but when I am at home in OK I will go. When I get home afterwards they won't talk to me...Sometimes, I think being Christian warps the ways of our people and it forces us to lose who we are really are...I feel inside I am a dancer in my heart, I may not be good at it, but I sure do love it.... So, I need all your help...I feel at home being in the ring and want to continue dancing, but I need someone to teach me, but I am in an area that doesn't have too many tradish dancers... Help!

06-09-2004, 07:37 PM	#35 (permalink)
Taushina Seeking Him Join Date: May 2004 Location: From Idaho, Living in Arizona Posts: 319	I'm Christian and I love to powwow!!!! :Thumbs :Thumbs __________________ People almost

03-29-2004, 06:13 PM	#23 (permalink)
dancingbeauty Junior Dancer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: nc Posts: 146	I'm the only one powwowing in my family. I just felt that it was important for me to do. But I do wish my old man would become more involved. He use to drum about 6 years ago but no longer does that or attends powwows anymore. I think its kinda sad. :( I try to tell him that it is very important for our future kids. It's important that we keep our traditions and pass them on.

04-05-2004, 02:39 PM	#25 (permalink)
Dancin by the bay Graceless Grass Dancer Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: city by the bayCALI Posts: 1,108	Some do some don't but most don't in my family now. They go some times but when I was a younger my parents would take me and my dad would dance some times. I went some times during my college days but never week end after week end. My cousin will go once in a while with me but every one is busy with other things they don't pow wow. I'm learning so much from this site its making things clearer for me and why things are and how they came about. :flaming:

04-22-2004, 12:36 PM	#30 (permalink)
Lakota~Jen Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NC Posts: 7	....Wow i have never heard of Christians not letting their Native Christians go to powwows. Going to powwows is apart of Native's culture, if that happened to me, it would be like taking apart of myself away. I'm a Christian (Mormon/Lds to be specific), and sometimes the missionaries come to the powwows themselves. I'm sorry about that, I also dance Tradish, but I don't think i live close enough to teach you. I just wanted to say hang in there!

04-22-2004, 06:35 PM	#33 (permalink)
frybreadboogie72 Haw!!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 19	Well I would like to say, I Powwow every chance I get and now teaching my lil girl and nephew!!! I lost my mom due to cancer and back in 96 and every since then I kinda slacked off going to Powwows because she was the only one I went with, but now I am making my way back and I feel good about it all and it's really not as hard as I thought it would be sitting there or dancing without her...out of 8 kids I'm the only one that goes...My moms family that live here in Oklahoma don't go to them, but I do believe her one brother that doesn't live here in Okla. does go and one day I hope to see him,my aunt and cousin at a Powwow.

05-11-2004, 03:03 PM	#34 (permalink)
ironrose Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NY Posts: 22	:chief: I know this is an old thread but I just stumpled on to it and I have to respond to softwind's predicament concerning her sister's children prohibited from attending powwows. I too got guss bumps when I read it. It is sad to hear about close-minded people transferring ignorence onto the children-As we know it is indeed the role of caregivers to provide their children-when young-with the necessary tools which are needed in order to live life to its fullest. But when a parent overtly and deliberately holds a child back from exploring his/her culture;or other cultures for that matter, based on the premise that it is in violation of their own religion-Well then, ostensibly that person has major issues and that type of parenting is sure to back fire one day. I hope for the sake of the children involved that the adult in charge changes their outlook quickly. This world is already filled with ignorent people we don't need anymore thrown into the mix. I wish them the best of luck;and my advice is simple:open your heart and let it guide you.