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Amanda Lea Taylor
PowWows.com Gathering - Forums for Native American Pow Wows - View Profile: Zintkala Towa Win

Amanda Lea Taylor is running for PowWows.com Princess.

Please post any questions or comments you have for her in this thread.

Voting for the Princess Contest will begin January 1, 2010.

To read more about the contest, please visit:
2010 PowWows.com Princess Contest

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Zintkala Towa Win

Thank you to all who are checking out my nomination for the powwows.com princess 2010. I would like to say a little bit more about myself that I didn't say in my initial nomination. Currently I am a junior at the University of South Dakota. For the past three years I have been active in our Native American Student Association group called Tiospaye U. Last year I served as the club's first wacipi coordinator. As I have stated before I was also Miss Tiospaye 2007-2008. I was also a founding member of the American Indian Studies club here at USD. Within our first year in 2008-2009, the club got the opportunity to present at the 40th Annual American Indian Studies Association Conference at ASU in Tempe, AZ and at the first American Indian Studies Conference at Montana State University. I do value education and I encourage all to seek higher levels of education through out life.

I am from Flandreau, South Dakota originally and from birth to about the age of six I grew up around a family of traditional artists. Two of my uncles, Butch and Lee Taylor, were pipemakers. My birth mom, Berniece Taylor, became a famous beader around the 1980's. She would enter her various works in art contests and would often take top prize for her work. All my aunties and ucles were taught these things from their parents. Since the late 1800's my family has been traditional pipe makers and originally were from Minnesota.

Around the age of six I had to go live with my birth father on and off until the age of 12. Before I turned twelve, I met the my hunka family. They were the ones who got me started officially on the pow wow circuit. I am very greatful to them for the amazing support that they have been to me since then. They still remain as a big part of my life today. I still go to pow wows with them much like I used to when I was young. I love dancing fancy shawl and have been doing it since I was twelve. I did however dance jingle dress for one year when I was 19 since I had made a commitment to my cousin to get her regalia and teach her how to dance. Within her first year of dancing jingle she was placing among the top jingle dress dancers in her age category. I felt very proud of her accomplishments.

As having been a pow wow princess before I understand the responsibilities that come with it. One of my most touching experiences as princess was at Pejuhutazizi pow wow in Granite Falls Minnesota. The Heminger family of Sisseton South Dakota had gone to a pow wow the week before and upon their return home they found out that their house had been completely burned down. All they had left was what they had packed with them in their car. So one to the elders of the Pejuhutazizi community had a blanket dance sponsored for the family to raise them some money to live on and to recoup some of their losses. They needed to four visiting royalty to carry the blanket around the arena and to escort the family around the pow wow arena. I was happy to help and all the people who either came to dance or to watch were very generous. The people gave somewhere around 1000 dollars and the pow wow committee matched the donation. You could tell that the family was very touched and honored by the generosity of the people.

That is all I have for now but feel free to ask me any questions that you may have. Thank you for your time. Hecetu Welo.

NorthofAda

Most, if not all of us, have run into situations where we faced stereotypes about Native Americans or incorrect information about Native American culture.

Please describe an experience you had that involved such a stereotype or misinformation and how you handled it.

Zintkala Towa Win

I live in South Dakota which is a state that is severly lacking in cultural consideration and respect. I do not remember a single time in my life that I have not face some sort of cultural adversity. To give an example of how far this state is, they still have a law on the books stating that if there are more than 3 Indians in a group it is considered an uprising and that you can shoot to kill.

So my freshman year here at the University of South Dakota I had to take an American History course that covered U.S. history from 1862 to the present. So my professor who happens to be a Ph.D is history, starts off the semester lecturing on the "Sioux Uprising of 1862" and how the "savage Indians" uprose against the settlers and the U.S. government. The irony of this lecture is that I am sitting middle front row wearing my "Remember the 38, December 26, 1862" sweatshirt. So I sit there and listen to this lecture for a little bit. Then I rose my hand and he called on me.

So I politely disagreed with what he was saying. I interjected and said that "In the original Treaty of Fort Laramie 1851 that for the exchange of peace the Dakota would recieve certain provisions and move onto the reservations. The new agent on the Lower Sioux Agency, known as Andrew Myrick, started withholding rations in 1861. There had been an huge number of deaths and illness among the Dakota people. When they went to plead with Myrick, in the late fall of 1862, to recieve their annuities, he callously told them to "eat grass." The Dakota people took his actions as a break of the treaty and saw it as an act of war upon the Dakota people. So the wiping out of most of lower Minnesota was a direct result of Andrew Myrick's actions.

My professor looked at me dumbstruck and cautiously continued on with his lecture. I am not afraid to stand up and speak out against inaccurate portrayals, sterotypes, and misinformation. But I always do it in a respectful manner.

Thank you NorthofAda for your question. Pilamaya welo.

kiyaanii mom

Good luck with the contest.

What kind of regalia do you wear when you particpate at powwows? And Why?

Zintkala Towa Win

I first learned how to dance when I was nine years old from my friend Thrista. She taught me both jingle dress and fancy shawl dancing. When I met my hunka family they let me decide which of the female categories that I wanted to dance. I knew right away that I loved fancy shawl dancing. I loved how beautiful, graceful, and athletic the women looked when they were dancing. When I dance I do truly try to emulate the movements of a butterfly. I went to Mankato pow wow with my family this year and my grandma Deanna heard a woman talking to her grandchild and she pointed toward me and said, "Look she's a butterfly."

Right now my main outfit is more contemporary fancy shawl. It consists of an applique shawl, cape/yoke, leggings, and vest.I have beaded moccasins,earrings, hairties, back barrette, choker/neck drop. I also wear a turquoise bracelet My grandma Deanna when I first started dancing. Over Christmas break this year I am planning on making a traditional/old school fancy shawl outfit. I got to see an old school fancy shawl special at SDSU pow wow in Brookings South Dakota. I was awed by the beauty of the women dancing.

I will post a couple of pictures for you so you can see some of my outfits. Thank you for your question kiyaanii mom. Pilamaya welo!!

Attached Images

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	sdsu.jpg (5.0 KB, 21 views)
	flandreau.jpg (6.1 KB, 14 views)

ac_miss

Hello! As a former tribal/pow wow princess myself, I know the obligations it would take to represent your respective tribe or organization. It takes time and some sacrifices to be able to travel to various pow wows and functions.

My question is: Do you have a family support system that will help in your reign as Powwows.com Princess?

Also, other than the obligations set forth by the Powwows.com Committee, do you have another particular platform that you will support?

Good luck!

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Zintkala Towa Win

Sorry about the delay in responding to your question. I have a paper and two math tests coming up since the semester is winding down. So thank you for your patience.

I do have amazing family support when it comes to all aspects of my life. I still have contact with much of my biological family and remain close to my hunka family. All of whom are proud of my pursuit of higher education. My hunka family and I still travel to powwows as a family much like we did when I was a child. My family is fairly respected on the pow wow circuit we travel. My dad often is the Arena Director at different pow wows, like Mankato and SDSU's pow wow in Brookings, SD. We as a family have done various edcuation days for non Natives. My Grandma Deanna is our matriarch and is a great support. If I have questions about, if I am doing the proper steps to a song, for example she will tell me the correct way. I am honored to be a part of my family.

If I follow any of the virtues of my people is generosity. I have often in the past made a new outfit for myself and brought it to a pow wow. Then I will cross paths with a young lady who may need one. Even though I just made the outfit I will give it to them. I love to see our young people carrying on the traditions. The one time that I did this I remember well happened at Mankato pow wow a few years ago. This young girl came with her family from Davenport, IA and it was her first weekend dancing. Her family tried their best to get her some regalia together for the weekend. I had overheard her saying how she wished she had regalia like some of the other girls had. I guess in a way she reminded me of the first time I got to dance at a pow wow. My regalia was pretty humble for fancy shawl. I had just brought my first ever shawl that I had appliqued to use that weekend. Well when I heard that girl talking to her family my heart went out to her. So I went back to where I was sitting with my family and grabbed the shawl I just made and presented it to her. At first she was surprised and then she just started smiling big. Her family tried to offer me some money for it but I told them that I was happy to help. I saw her grandmother this year at Mankato pow wow and she told me about how proud that girl was to have that shawl. Her family was able to get her some fabric and make her some matching regalia. From what I understand she still uses that shawl today.

I too have been a pow wow princess so I am familiar with what is expected of one. I am drug and alcohol free. I believe that no matter what you do or who you are that it is important to walk in a respectful manner. As former title holder, my Grandma Deanna talked to me of the importance of setting a good example for the young people and especially for the young girls. She said that as royalty many of these young girls will look to you as a role model. So to be sure that I am setting the right example.

Thank you again for your question ac_miss!! Mitakuye Oyasin!! Wopila Thaka!!

ac_miss

That was a great answer, and I look forward to meeting you on the pow wow trail.

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Eagle Plumes

Hello, I read in your blog you had a child do you think you can balance being a mom, school & being princess?

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Zintkala Towa Win

Yes I do think that I can handle being a single mom, going to school, and be princess. One could say that any mom ends up becoming a master of multi-tasking!! I maintain good grades, practice my culture, and raise my daughter in a respectful manner. My family is a great support in my life. I have done it before when I was Miss Tiospaye 2007-2008 for the University of South Dakota's Native American Student Association.

When I first found out I was pregnant I was worried because I know all the taboos out there in mainstream society about pregnant, unmarried women. I was comforted by an elder of the White Earth reservation in Minnesota. He told me that in the beginning the Creator got to choose between the male and female who would be given the ability to create miracles naturally by bringing life to the people. The Creator gave that honor to women. He told me that he was envious of that because men really have to work alot harder to bring miracles to the people. He continued to say that he didn't need to know the details of how I came to be in my situation but that the Creator put me on this path and that I shouldn't be ashamed of the gift the Creator had given me. (At the time I found out about being pregant, I was with my daughter's dad but I decided to leave about a month after she was born because he hit me. I grew up in an abusive home and knew all to well the effects it has on children. I vowed after being put in custody of the state as a child, should any man ever lay hand on me I would leave immediately. I, as a human being, deserved to be treated better than that. I kept that promise to myself and after her dad hit me I was packed and gone an hour later. That was the first and last time he ever laid a hand on me. I did not want my child to grow in that kind of environment.)

I have amazing family support. My hunka family and I still travel together to pow wows. We may not always ride together but we will meet up at a pow wow. We work together well, whether its setting up camp or helping to get everyone dressed in time for grand entry. We also gather together for various reasons still too like for sewing weekends, celebrations, and even in times of hardship. I look up to my Grandma Deanna because she left an abusive relationship when she was young woman, raised four kids by herself, and got a master's degree. I figured if my grandma can do all that then so could I. I feel that I set a good example for my daughter. She is raised in a drug free, alcohol free, and violence free home. I make sure that she is immersed in the culture and currently I am attempting to teach her Lakota. In my Siouan culture, at some traditional pow wows, they will often have the women's traditional dancers stand outside of the men traditional dancers. Often times you hear the MC talk about how these women are given this honor because the are the Keepers of the Nation.

Even now the words of my grandma come to mind when I think back to when I won Miss Tiospaye 2007-2008. She said that these young girls will look up to you so make sure you set a good example for them. I do not feel that being a single mom, whose pursuing her education, and still walking in a respectful manner in accordance to her culture is a poor role model. The best I can do is do what is right not only for myself, but also for my family, my people, my peers, and my culture. Most importantly do what is right for the children and my daughter, who are the future of our nations.

Thank you so much for your question Eagle Plumes. It was a great question to ask. Wopila Thaka!! Mitakuye Oyasin!!