Josiah

I have seen this at Powwows myself mostly to the east of Oklahoma
I cant speak for Northern Powwows
But for a time I lived in the east and they seem to take the Arena waaay too seriously!
I can understand the rope going around the dance arena and the haybails but to only enter from the east and have to be smudged before you go in
Come on! a bit much

I have seen the dances with wolves dancers usually wearing sleeveless leather vest unadorned and minnetonka moccs doing the kick dance that looks like they are having dry heaves

Around here I dont see that too much at all
No ropes or haybales
benches usually
only occasionally have to explain to someone the bench is for dancers not spectators that did not bring chairs
hahahahaha

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kiowakat

I love when I do go a pow-wow with my mom and we just sit there in our law chairs looking at the ones that are dancing their hearts out, but it still makes us giggle (not at them to their face)......I just have to wonder what is my mom thinking when she see's things like that and the giggles.....LOL.......makes me giggle now.......oh well my two cents worth lol

tsuj510

Well, it might be even higher now-those is 90's prices! LOL!

Wish I could see a spectator dance-maybe there is one on youtube, innit?

hobbs49

Great idea! I'll have to make a video sometime soon so I can post it

tsuj510

There you go-

"spectators gone wild"..

SuzzeQ4

Suzze

Eagle Plumes

awe man wahta image! them all run'n around lift'n their shirts!

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I got a fevah! And the only cure is more cowbell!!!

tsuj510

Awww, man!

This ain't no Mardi Gras folks!

LOL!

MTNwomanAR

I just last weekend attended my second pow wow at tulsa and when they opened the areana up for dancing, my friend Don and I went out there.... it was the most awesome experience ever....the drums pounding, the good vibes and all....I didn't any disrespecting of anyone either...it was a totally great weekend!!

WhoMe

I admit I have seen some crazy spectators who gave their best/worse interpretation of what Indian dancing is. Sometimes it does appear as disrespectful.

But there are also positive experiences. At a recent powwow in DC, there was a really good feeling as hundreds of spectators danced during the intertribals.

I heard comments from some of my friends who are top dancers that this was the most audience participation that they had ever seen.

To the best of my knowledge, no spectator was dancing inappropriately.

The feeling was so good, I even got out there in street clothes and one of our hearing impaired guest's came and danced with me!

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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

hobbs49

I agree WhoMe! I wasn't suggesting that spectators shouldn't get out and dance and have a good time. I wasn't able to make that dance, but it sounds awesome! Heck, everyone has to have a first time and likely that first time will be in street clothes. It's that flexibility that brings people into the circle for without that first experience, you're likely never to make it a part of your culture.

You also hit upon another thing and that is that you went out and danced with someone, and given that they were hearing impared, you probably helped them out.

Some people are thought impared and maybe the guy who sparked this whole thread just needed someone to dance with him and help him out. Maybe I missed an opportunity there. But at the same time, I can be somewhat heritage impared, and if the dude was native, well... I preferred not to go there.

By the way WhoMe, since DC is right there by Virginia and NC, did all the spectators come out and do the hold-each-others-hand-round-dance? That's one of my regional favorites here

WhoMe

Hobbs,

You're right about the hearing impaired lady. Everybody has to start somewhere and I wanted her first cultural exchange in the dance arena to be a positive one.

It's funny you asked about the round dance....

It was Sunday evening. All the ties had been danced. It was time to announce winners and... somebody gave me the high sign to stall for 10-minutes while they finished up the tabulations.

So I just called for all the spectators to come down for a round dance! It was great! Dancers and spectators alike danced to Battle River and Southern Thunder - holding hands, holding babies and holding new snags!!!!!!

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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

crazywolf

You don't get to Florida much do you? At just about dern near EVERY pow wow down here they smudge before EVERY dance, and take it seriously. When they come to me standing in line there, I usually just tell them, that I smudged back at camp.

Down here, they believe that smudging removes all of the bad things and negativity. What I can't stand, is going by their logic, that when the smudging is done the guy gives you a hug. Well if he didn't smudge before he starts smudging people (and usually they dont) well didnt he just transfer some of his negativity back to you? Its like the cooties man.

This is what I believe. Smudging, no matter what you use, sage, creosote, or flat cedar, is used to cover body odor. Its very effective at it. What I was told by my elders, was that the spirits don't come around if you smell bad, so you smudge to make it better for them. Makes sense. Dunno about the negativity part though. I still feel the same after I got smudged as before.

Now that aside, as far as these crazy non-indian dances with wolves wannabes go, I have no problem sharing the arena with any one of them. Any number of those people can get into the circle with me and dance any way they want to their hearts pleasure. Its what the circle is there for, to call all nations together to socialize and have fun. Just please... stay out of my way, really. Too many times these people do not watch where they are going and end up in a 5 dancer pileup. Sometimes its just kids that do nothing but run around the circle, usually an older sibling followed by 2-3 younger brothers and sisters. I have seen people dancing with their eyes closed, which I myself do, but when I do so I am intune with just about everyone there, and I have never hit anyone, not once. These people go off into some other world, literally. I have even seen one get pretty close to the drum. He didnt make it, was intercepted by the AD and escorted out, and spoken to. Good Job!

Too many times I have to slow down or even stop what I am doing, because some little kid gets underfoot (thats not a dancer). I have come really close to finding speedbumps out there. Too many times I have swatted people, I try to keep my distance, really. Many times I have walked out because there just isnt room to dance out there anymore, at least, not the way I dance.

Derek

Eagle Plumes