Powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities.
Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity for Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures.
In mainstream American culture, such as 20th-century Western movies or by military personnel, the term powwow was used to refer to any type of meeting.
This usage is now considered by some Native Americans to be an offensive case of appropriation because of the cultural significance powwows hold.
[4] Initially, public dances that most resemble what are now known as pow wows were most common in the Great Plains region of the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when the United States government destroyed many Native communities in the hopes of acquiring land for economic exploitation.
[4] In 1923, Charles H. Burke, Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the United States, passed legislation modeled on Circular 1665,[5] which he published in 1921.
This legislation restricted the times of the year in which Native Americans could practice traditional dance, which Burke deemed as a direct threat to the Christian religion.
[6] However, many Native communities continued to gather together in secret to practice their cultures' dance and music in defiance of this and other legislation.
[7] If a pow wow has a sponsor, such as a tribe, college, or organization, many or all members of the committee may come from that group.
They are generally hired by the powwow committee several months in advance, as the quality of the head staff can affect attendance.
[8] To be chosen as part of the head staff is an honor, showing respect for the person's skills or dedication.
The MC is also responsible for filling any dead air time that may occur during the pow wow, often with jokes.
[9] At outdoor pow wows, this circle is often covered by either a committee-built arbor or tent, or each group, particularly the MC and the drums, will provide their own.
While most of the time, a tent provides shelter from the sun, rain can also plague outdoor events.
Pow-wow etiquette includes guidelines regarding acceptable behavior, such as rules for photography and protocol during the Grand Entry.
The Eagle Staff leads the Grand Entry, followed by flags and then the dancers, while one of the host drums performs an opening song.
When military veterans or active duty service members are present, they are often given the honor for carrying the flags and eagle staffs.
After the Grand Entry, the master of ceremonies (MC) invites a respected member of the community to deliver an invocation.
The styles and types of dances at a pow wow are descended from the traditions of the Great Plains nations of Canada and the United States.
Besides those for the opening and closing of a pow wow session, the most common is the intertribal, where a Drum will sing a song, and anyone who wants to can come and dance.
Beginning in the mid-1970s, women began drumming with men and seconding, or singing, an octave higher, the song.
The dancing stops on the final beat and then a tail, or coda, finishes the song with a shortened chorus.
Generally, Native American singing follows a pentatonic scale, like playing only the black keys on a piano.
While to the outsider, it may simply sound like drum beats accompanied by vocables, some songs include words in Cree, Pikuni, Lushuutsid, Niimipuu, Lakhota, Sahpatin, Salish, Ojibwemowin, or many other Native languages.
