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This article is about Native American/First Nations gatherings. For other uses, see Pow wow (disambiguation).

A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or public, indoors or outdoors. Dancing events can be competitive with monetary prizes. Powwows vary in length from single-day to weeklong events.

In mainstream American culture, such as 20th-century Western movies or by military personnel, the term powwow has been used to refer to any type of meeting. This usage has been considered both offensive and falling under cultural misappropriation.^[1]

History[edit]

The word powwow is derived from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning «spiritual leader».^[2] The term itself has variants including Powaw, Pawaw, Powah, Pauwau and Pawau.^[3] A number of tribes claim to have held the «first» pow wow.^[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, which he published in 1921, that limited the times of the year in which Native Americans could practice traditional dance, which he deemed as directly threatening the Christian religion.^[5] However, many Native communities continued to gather together in secret to practice their cultures’ dance and music, in defiance of this, and other, legislation. By the mid-twentieth century, pow wows were also being held in the Great Lakes region.^[4]

Organization[edit]

Planning for a pow wow generally begins months, perhaps even a year, in advance of the event by a group of people usually referred to as a pow wow committee. Pow wows may be sponsored by a tribal organization, by an American Native community within an urban area, a Native American Studies program or American Native club on a college or university campus, tribe, or any other organization that can provide startup funds, insurance, and volunteer workers.

Committee[edit]

A pow wow committee consists of several individuals who do all the planning before the event. 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. The committee is responsible to recruit and hire the head staff, publicize the pow wow, securing a location, and recruiting vendors who pay for the right to set up and sell food or merchandise at the pow wow.

Staff[edit]

The head staff of a pow-wow are the people who run the event on the day or days it occurs. They are generally hired by the pow wow committee several months in advance, as the quality of the head staff can affect attendance.^[6] To be chosen as part of the head staff is an honor, showing respect for the person’s skills or dedication.

Arena Director[edit]

Master of Ceremonies[edit]

The master of ceremonies, or MC, is the voice of the pow wow. It is his job to keep the singers, dancers, and public informed as to what is happening. The MC sets the schedule of events and maintains the drum rotation, or order of when each drum group gets to sing. The MC is also responsible for filling any dead air time that may occur during the pow wow, often with jokes. The MC often runs any raffles or other contests that may happen during the pow wow.

Head dancers[edit]

The head dancers consist of the Head Man Dancer and the Head Woman Dancer, and often Head Teen Dancers, Head Little Boy and Girl Dancers, Head Golden Age Dancers, and a Head Gourd Dancer if the pow wow has a Gourd Dance. The head dancers lead the other dancers in the grand entry or parade of dancers that opens a pow-wow. In many cases, the head dancers are also responsible for leading the dancers during songs, and often dancers will not enter the arena unless the head dancers are already out dancing.

Host drums and drum groups[edit]

The singers play while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow-wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, veterans or victory song to start the pow-wow. As well as a flag song, retreat song, and closing song to end the pow wow. Additionally, if a pow-wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing special songs during the pow-wow.

Famous host drums include Black Lodge Singers, Cozad Singers, and Yellowhammer.

The event[edit]

Setup[edit]

A pow wow is often set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a larger circle consisting of the MC’s table, drum groups, and sitting areas for dancers and their families. Beyond these two circles for participants is an area for spectators, while outside of all are designated areas with vendor’s booths, where one can buy food (including frybread and Indian tacos), music, jewelry, souvenirs, arts and crafts, beadwork, leather, and regalia supplies.^[7]

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. It is particularly important to protect the drums used by the drum groups, as they are sensitive to temperature changes and, if it rains, they cannot get wet. Most vendors provide their own tents or shelters at an outdoor pow wow.

Etiquette[edit]

Pow wow etiquette is required; such as rules for when photography is or is not acceptable, protocol for the Grand Entry, and so on. A few guidelines are common; clothing worn by participants is known as «regalia» and not to be called a «costume.» Some rules are for common sense courtesy: drums have special rules and should not be touched or played by those not a part of the drum group. People and their regalia should not be touched without permission.^[8] Photographs are also a big part of pow wow etiquette. Depending on the reservation and ceremony, viewers should ask before taking photographs or recording videos or tapes. Some tribes, such as the Pascua Yaqui and Hopi, ban photos and sketches of ceremonies.^[9]

Opening[edit]

A pow-wow session begins with the Grand Entry and, in most cases, a prayer. The Eagle Staff leads the Grand Entry, followed by flags, then the dancers, while one of the host drums sings an opening song. This event is sacred in nature; some pow wows do not allow filming or photography during this time, though others allow it.

If military veterans or active duty soldiers are present, they often carry the flags and eagle staffs. They are followed by the head dancers, then the remaining dancers usually enter the arena in a specific order: Men’s Traditional, Men’s Grass Dance, Men’s Fancy, Women’s Traditional, Women’s Jingle, and Women’s Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order. Following the Grand Entry, the MC will invite a respected member of the community to give an invocation. The host drum that did not sing the Grand Entry song will then sing a Flag Song, followed by a Victory or Veterans’ Song, during which the flags and staffs are posted at the MC’s table.

Dances[edit]

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. Similar dances are the round dance; crow hop when performed by a northern drum or a horse stealing song by a southern drum; there is also «double beat», «sneakup» and, for Women’s Traditional and Jingle, «sidestep». Each of these songs have a different step to be used during them, but are open for dancers of any style.

In addition to the open dances, contest dances for a particular style and age group are often held, with the top winners receiving a cash prize. To compete in a contest, the dancer must be in regalia appropriate for the competition. Larger pow wows have more specific categories. The dance categories vary somewhat by region, but general categories are as follows:^[10]

Men’s[edit]

• Fancy Dance or Fancy Feather Dance (Northern and Southern styles): A dance featuring vivid regalia with dramatic movement, including spins and leaps. Fancy dancers are distinguished by their bright colored regalia which consists of two large bustle worn on the upper and lower back.
• Northern Traditional (simply «Men’s Traditional» in the North): A dance featuring traditional regalia, including a single bustle, usually of eagle feathers, ribbon shirt, bone hair pipe choker and breastplate. Movements are based upon a warrior scouting before a battle or other story telling traditions tracing to when the powwow was first danced as a ceremony. The dancers carry a dance staff and a fan usually made from the wing of an eagle.^[11]
• Straight dance (or Southern traditional): Straight dancers usually are more neat and with more homemade features such as chokers, breastplates, etc. Their dances are like Northern, They take one foot and step on the ball of their foot and then they tap it once on the ground. Then they tap it once again but this time they put their heel a few millimeters above the ground and repeat the process with the other foot. They do this in a walking motion. It is very hard especially when following the beat of fast drums. If they catch themselves off beat they will tap their foot three times instead of two to get back with the drums’ rhythm.
• Grass Dance: A dance featuring regalia with long, flowing fringe and designs reminiscent of grass blowing in the wind. Dance movements are more elaborate than the traditional dancers, but less flashy than the fancy dancers.
• Chicken dance: a recent dance originating with the Northern Plains tribes. Dancers imitate the mating dance of the prairie chicken by rocking their heads back and forth as they spin from side to side in slow majestic movements. Regalia is less elaborate than other dances. It usually includes a porcupine hair roach and two long pheasant tail feathers that curl backwards with colored plumes. Dark, snug shirts and leggings are worn, covered by a drape over the chest and back with short fringe. The bustle is small, using small pheasant or eagle feathers circling the outside of the bustle board with bunches of small loose feathers or plumes in the center. Dancers carry a mirror board or a gourd in one hand and an eagle tail feather fan in the other. ^[11]
• Eastern War Dance: A dance from the East Coast that is a storytelling dance, Men wear no bustle however do carry a fan and dance stick. This is also called the «Eastern Strait Dance».

Women’s[edit]

• Traditional (seen at Northern pow wows): A dance featuring traditional regalia of cloth or leather, and dancers who perform with precise, highly controlled movement.
• Buckskin and Cloth: A traditional dance from the South. The name refers to the type of material of which the dress is made. The regalia is similar to the Northern traditional dance. However, in the South, buckskin and cloth dancers are judged in two separate categories. The dance steps are the same for both regalia categories.

• Fancy Shawl: A dance featuring women wearing brilliant colors, a long, usually fringed and decorated, shawl, performing rapid spins and elaborate dance steps.
• Jingle Dress (healing dance):The jingle dress includes a skirt with hundreds of small tin cones that make noise as the dancer moves with light footwork danced close to ground.

Normal intertribal dancing is an individual activity, but there are also couples and group dances. Couples dances include the two step and owl dance. In a two step each couple follows the lead of the head dancers, forming a line behind them, whereas in an owl dance each couple dances alone. Group dances dances include the Snake and Buffalo dance, where the group dances to mimic the motions of a snake in the beginning of the dance, then change to mimic the actions of a herd of buffalo.

At pow wows where there is a large Southern Plains community in the area, the Gourd Dance is often included before the start of the pow wow sessions. The gourd dance originated with the Kiowa tribe, whence it spread, and is a society dance for veterans and their families. Unlike other dances, the gourd dance is normally performed with the drum in the center of the dance arena, not on the side.

Music[edit]

Though there are many genres unique to different tribes pow wow music is characterized by pan or intertribalism with the Plains cultures, the originators of the modern pow wow, predominating. For information on dancing, see Dances.

Drumming[edit]

«Good drums get the dancers out there, good songs get them to dance well. Without drum groups there is no music. No music, no dance, no powwow.»^[12]

There may be many drums at a pow wow, especially weekend or week long ones, but each pow wow features a host drum which is accorded great respect. The members of drum groups are often family, extended family, or friends. Groups are then often named for families, geographic locations, tribal societies, or more colorful names. Many groups display their names on jackets, caps, vehicles, and chairs. Traditionally only men would drum and women would sit behind the men singing high harmonies. Beginning in the mid-1970s, women began drumming with men and seconding, or singing, an octave higher, the song.^[13] Today, there are mixed-gender and all-female drum groups.

The supplies a drum group carries include the drum, rawhide headed, a cloth bag for padded drum sticks, the drum stand, folding chairs for sitting, and, in some cases, a public address system. The drum head, stand, microphone stands, and PA box are often decorated with paintings or eagle feathers, fur, flags, and strips of colored cloth.^[14]

Readily noticeable in performances are the «hard beats» used to indicate sections of the song. The «traditional method» consists of a pronounced strike by all singers every other beat. These may appear in the first or second line of a song, the end of a section, before the repetition of a song. A cluster of three hard beats (on consecutive beats) may be used at the end of a series of hard beats, while a few beats in the first line of a song indicate performer enthusiasm. In the «Hot Five» method five beats are used, with the first hard beat four beats before the second, after which the beats alternate.^[15]

Etiquette[edit]

To understand drum protocol, a drum may be thought of as a person or being and is to be regarded and respected as such. Drum etiquette is highly important. There are regional variations. The drum is the central symbol of Oklahoma pow wows and is located in the center of the dance floor and pow wow (which are themselves shaped in concentric circles). Southern drums are suspended by four posts, one for each direction. Northern drums are set up on the outside of the dance area, with the host drum in the best position. Drummer-singers are expected to remain at their drum and ready to sing at any moment’s notice; a dancer might approach the drum and whistle, fan or gesture his staff over a drum to indicate his request for a song even if it is not that drum group’s turn to sing. In some regions it is considered disrespectful to leave a drum completely unattended. Some drum groups do not allow females to sit down at their drum but welcome them to stand behind the drummers and sing backup harmonies; the reasons for this point vaguely to a variety of tribal stories that attempt to tell the history of drumming as each group understands it. The drum is offered gifts of tobacco during giveaways and musicians acknowledge this by standing.^[16]

Singing[edit]

While the drum is central to pow wows, «the drum only helps them keep beat. Dancers key on the melody of the song. Rhythms, tones, pitch all help create their ‘moves’.» (p. 85) Note that Bill Runs Above did not mention the lyrics of the songs, and while they are no doubt important, most lyrics of most songs employ vocables, syllable sounds such as «ya», «hey», and «loi» (p. 86).^[17] This is particularly evident in intertribal songs, such as the AIM Song, which cannot be biased towards a certain language.

The song structure consists of four pushups, singing the chorus and verse through four times. In each chorus the melody is introduced or led off by the lead singer whose is then seconded by another singer who begins to vary the melody before the end of the leader’s first line. They are then joined by the entire chorus for the rest of the pushup. Three down strokes or hard beats^[18] mark the end of the chorus and beginning of the verse, and during these dancers will alter their dancing such as by hopping low like fancy dancers. An increase in tempo and volume on the last five beats marks the end of the final verse. The dancing stops on the final beat and then a tail, or coda, finishes the song with a shortened chorus.^[19] Sometimes a drum group will sing the song more than four times, particularly when the song feels good and the singers seize the moment for an extra pushup or two (or more), or when a dancer blows a whistle or passes his staff or fan over the drum to signal that the song is to be continued four extra pushups while he prays.

Singing differs by region in that a high falsetto is used in the north while in the south a lower range is used. «To the unfamiliar listener, Indian singing sounds exotic, different, and difficult to comprehend,» and the contrast in the quality or timbre of voice used in traditional Indian and European musics may have much to do with that difficulty. However, «to the trained ear, melodies flow, ascend and descend» while dancers react to changes in the structure of the melody and the song. Boye Ladd says, «If you give me a stink song, I’ll dance stink. If you give me good music, I’ll give you a great show,» implying that one can appreciate the music through the dancing, which is readily appreciated by everyone.^[19] But others say that today’s contemporary contest dancers are expected to dance their best no matter how well or poor the drum group is that is singing for their contest. Generally, Native American singing follows a pentatonic scale (as if playing only the black keys on a piano) and 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.

See also[edit]

• Potlatch
• Wild Westing

References[edit]

Works cited[edit]

• Hatton, O. Thomas (1974). «Performance Practices of Northern Plains Pow-Wow Singing Groups», Anuario Interamericano de Investigacion Musical, Vol. 10, pp. 123–137 JSTOR 779841.
• Kyi-Yo (2007). Kyi-Yo Celebration. Kyi-Yo student organization, Native American studies, University of Montana.
• Nettl, Bruno (1989). Blackfoot Musical Thought: Comparative Perspectives. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-370-2.
• Roberts, Chris (1992). Powwow Country. ISBN 1-56037-025-4.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Pow wows at Wikimedia Commons
• Library of Congress collection of Omaha Pow-wow music

This article is about Native American/First Nations gatherings. For other uses, see Pow wow (disambiguation).

A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or public, indoors or outdoors. Dancing events can be competitive with monetary prizes. Powwows vary in length from single-day to weeklong events.

In mainstream American culture, such as 20th-century Western movies or by military personnel, the term powwow has been used to refer to any type of meeting. This usage has been considered both offensive and falling under cultural misappropriation.^[1]

History[edit]

The word powwow is derived from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning «spiritual leader».^[2] The term itself has variants including Powaw, Pawaw, Powah, Pauwau and Pawau.^[3] A number of tribes claim to have held the «first» pow wow.^[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, which he published in 1921, that limited the times of the year in which Native Americans could practice traditional dance, which he deemed as directly threatening the Christian religion.^[5] However, many Native communities continued to gather together in secret to practice their cultures’ dance and music, in defiance of this, and other, legislation. By the mid-twentieth century, pow wows were also being held in the Great Lakes region.^[4]

Organization[edit]

Planning for a pow wow generally begins months, perhaps even a year, in advance of the event by a group of people usually referred to as a pow wow committee. Pow wows may be sponsored by a tribal organization, by an American Native community within an urban area, a Native American Studies program or American Native club on a college or university campus, tribe, or any other organization that can provide startup funds, insurance, and volunteer workers.

Committee[edit]

A pow wow committee consists of several individuals who do all the planning before the event. 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. The committee is responsible to recruit and hire the head staff, publicize the pow wow, securing a location, and recruiting vendors who pay for the right to set up and sell food or merchandise at the pow wow.

Staff[edit]

The head staff of a pow-wow are the people who run the event on the day or days it occurs. They are generally hired by the pow wow committee several months in advance, as the quality of the head staff can affect attendance.^[6] To be chosen as part of the head staff is an honor, showing respect for the person’s skills or dedication.

Arena Director[edit]

Master of Ceremonies[edit]

The master of ceremonies, or MC, is the voice of the pow wow. It is his job to keep the singers, dancers, and public informed as to what is happening. The MC sets the schedule of events and maintains the drum rotation, or order of when each drum group gets to sing. The MC is also responsible for filling any dead air time that may occur during the pow wow, often with jokes. The MC often runs any raffles or other contests that may happen during the pow wow.

Head dancers[edit]

The head dancers consist of the Head Man Dancer and the Head Woman Dancer, and often Head Teen Dancers, Head Little Boy and Girl Dancers, Head Golden Age Dancers, and a Head Gourd Dancer if the pow wow has a Gourd Dance. The head dancers lead the other dancers in the grand entry or parade of dancers that opens a pow-wow. In many cases, the head dancers are also responsible for leading the dancers during songs, and often dancers will not enter the arena unless the head dancers are already out dancing.

Host drums and drum groups[edit]

The singers play while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow-wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, veterans or victory song to start the pow-wow. As well as a flag song, retreat song, and closing song to end the pow wow. Additionally, if a pow-wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing special songs during the pow-wow.

Famous host drums include Black Lodge Singers, Cozad Singers, and Yellowhammer.

The event[edit]

Setup[edit]

A pow wow is often set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a larger circle consisting of the MC’s table, drum groups, and sitting areas for dancers and their families. Beyond these two circles for participants is an area for spectators, while outside of all are designated areas with vendor’s booths, where one can buy food (including frybread and Indian tacos), music, jewelry, souvenirs, arts and crafts, beadwork, leather, and regalia supplies.^[7]

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. It is particularly important to protect the drums used by the drum groups, as they are sensitive to temperature changes and, if it rains, they cannot get wet. Most vendors provide their own tents or shelters at an outdoor pow wow.

Etiquette[edit]

Pow wow etiquette is required; such as rules for when photography is or is not acceptable, protocol for the Grand Entry, and so on. A few guidelines are common; clothing worn by participants is known as «regalia» and not to be called a «costume.» Some rules are for common sense courtesy: drums have special rules and should not be touched or played by those not a part of the drum group. People and their regalia should not be touched without permission.^[8] Photographs are also a big part of pow wow etiquette. Depending on the reservation and ceremony, viewers should ask before taking photographs or recording videos or tapes. Some tribes, such as the Pascua Yaqui and Hopi, ban photos and sketches of ceremonies.^[9]

Opening[edit]

A pow-wow session begins with the Grand Entry and, in most cases, a prayer. The Eagle Staff leads the Grand Entry, followed by flags, then the dancers, while one of the host drums sings an opening song. This event is sacred in nature; some pow wows do not allow filming or photography during this time, though others allow it.

If military veterans or active duty soldiers are present, they often carry the flags and eagle staffs. They are followed by the head dancers, then the remaining dancers usually enter the arena in a specific order: Men’s Traditional, Men’s Grass Dance, Men’s Fancy, Women’s Traditional, Women’s Jingle, and Women’s Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order. Following the Grand Entry, the MC will invite a respected member of the community to give an invocation. The host drum that did not sing the Grand Entry song will then sing a Flag Song, followed by a Victory or Veterans’ Song, during which the flags and staffs are posted at the MC’s table.

Dances[edit]

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. Similar dances are the round dance; crow hop when performed by a northern drum or a horse stealing song by a southern drum; there is also «double beat», «sneakup» and, for Women’s Traditional and Jingle, «sidestep». Each of these songs have a different step to be used during them, but are open for dancers of any style.

In addition to the open dances, contest dances for a particular style and age group are often held, with the top winners receiving a cash prize. To compete in a contest, the dancer must be in regalia appropriate for the competition. Larger pow wows have more specific categories. The dance categories vary somewhat by region, but general categories are as follows:^[10]

Men’s[edit]

• Fancy Dance or Fancy Feather Dance (Northern and Southern styles): A dance featuring vivid regalia with dramatic movement, including spins and leaps. Fancy dancers are distinguished by their bright colored regalia which consists of two large bustle worn on the upper and lower back.
• Northern Traditional (simply «Men’s Traditional» in the North): A dance featuring traditional regalia, including a single bustle, usually of eagle feathers, ribbon shirt, bone hair pipe choker and breastplate. Movements are based upon a warrior scouting before a battle or other story telling traditions tracing to when the powwow was first danced as a ceremony. The dancers carry a dance staff and a fan usually made from the wing of an eagle.^[11]
• Straight dance (or Southern traditional): Straight dancers usually are more neat and with more homemade features such as chokers, breastplates, etc. Their dances are like Northern, They take one foot and step on the ball of their foot and then they tap it once on the ground. Then they tap it once again but this time they put their heel a few millimeters above the ground and repeat the process with the other foot. They do this in a walking motion. It is very hard especially when following the beat of fast drums. If they catch themselves off beat they will tap their foot three times instead of two to get back with the drums’ rhythm.
• Grass Dance: A dance featuring regalia with long, flowing fringe and designs reminiscent of grass blowing in the wind. Dance movements are more elaborate than the traditional dancers, but less flashy than the fancy dancers.
• Chicken dance: a recent dance originating with the Northern Plains tribes. Dancers imitate the mating dance of the prairie chicken by rocking their heads back and forth as they spin from side to side in slow majestic movements. Regalia is less elaborate than other dances. It usually includes a porcupine hair roach and two long pheasant tail feathers that curl backwards with colored plumes. Dark, snug shirts and leggings are worn, covered by a drape over the chest and back with short fringe. The bustle is small, using small pheasant or eagle feathers circling the outside of the bustle board with bunches of small loose feathers or plumes in the center. Dancers carry a mirror board or a gourd in one hand and an eagle tail feather fan in the other. ^[11]
• Eastern War Dance: A dance from the East Coast that is a storytelling dance, Men wear no bustle however do carry a fan and dance stick. This is also called the «Eastern Strait Dance».

Women’s[edit]

• Traditional (seen at Northern pow wows): A dance featuring traditional regalia of cloth or leather, and dancers who perform with precise, highly controlled movement.
• Buckskin and Cloth: A traditional dance from the South. The name refers to the type of material of which the dress is made. The regalia is similar to the Northern traditional dance. However, in the South, buckskin and cloth dancers are judged in two separate categories. The dance steps are the same for both regalia categories.

• Fancy Shawl: A dance featuring women wearing brilliant colors, a long, usually fringed and decorated, shawl, performing rapid spins and elaborate dance steps.
• Jingle Dress (healing dance):The jingle dress includes a skirt with hundreds of small tin cones that make noise as the dancer moves with light footwork danced close to ground.

Normal intertribal dancing is an individual activity, but there are also couples and group dances. Couples dances include the two step and owl dance. In a two step each couple follows the lead of the head dancers, forming a line behind them, whereas in an owl dance each couple dances alone. Group dances dances include the Snake and Buffalo dance, where the group dances to mimic the motions of a snake in the beginning of the dance, then change to mimic the actions of a herd of buffalo.

At pow wows where there is a large Southern Plains community in the area, the Gourd Dance is often included before the start of the pow wow sessions. The gourd dance originated with the Kiowa tribe, whence it spread, and is a society dance for veterans and their families. Unlike other dances, the gourd dance is normally performed with the drum in the center of the dance arena, not on the side.

Music[edit]

Though there are many genres unique to different tribes pow wow music is characterized by pan or intertribalism with the Plains cultures, the originators of the modern pow wow, predominating. For information on dancing, see Dances.

Drumming[edit]

«Good drums get the dancers out there, good songs get them to dance well. Without drum groups there is no music. No music, no dance, no powwow.»^[12]

There may be many drums at a pow wow, especially weekend or week long ones, but each pow wow features a host drum which is accorded great respect. The members of drum groups are often family, extended family, or friends. Groups are then often named for families, geographic locations, tribal societies, or more colorful names. Many groups display their names on jackets, caps, vehicles, and chairs. Traditionally only men would drum and women would sit behind the men singing high harmonies. Beginning in the mid-1970s, women began drumming with men and seconding, or singing, an octave higher, the song.^[13] Today, there are mixed-gender and all-female drum groups.

The supplies a drum group carries include the drum, rawhide headed, a cloth bag for padded drum sticks, the drum stand, folding chairs for sitting, and, in some cases, a public address system. The drum head, stand, microphone stands, and PA box are often decorated with paintings or eagle feathers, fur, flags, and strips of colored cloth.^[14]

Readily noticeable in performances are the «hard beats» used to indicate sections of the song. The «traditional method» consists of a pronounced strike by all singers every other beat. These may appear in the first or second line of a song, the end of a section, before the repetition of a song. A cluster of three hard beats (on consecutive beats) may be used at the end of a series of hard beats, while a few beats in the first line of a song indicate performer enthusiasm. In the «Hot Five» method five beats are used, with the first hard beat four beats before the second, after which the beats alternate.^[15]

Etiquette[edit]

To understand drum protocol, a drum may be thought of as a person or being and is to be regarded and respected as such. Drum etiquette is highly important. There are regional variations. The drum is the central symbol of Oklahoma pow wows and is located in the center of the dance floor and pow wow (which are themselves shaped in concentric circles). Southern drums are suspended by four posts, one for each direction. Northern drums are set up on the outside of the dance area, with the host drum in the best position. Drummer-singers are expected to remain at their drum and ready to sing at any moment’s notice; a dancer might approach the drum and whistle, fan or gesture his staff over a drum to indicate his request for a song even if it is not that drum group’s turn to sing. In some regions it is considered disrespectful to leave a drum completely unattended. Some drum groups do not allow females to sit down at their drum but welcome them to stand behind the drummers and sing backup harmonies; the reasons for this point vaguely to a variety of tribal stories that attempt to tell the history of drumming as each group understands it. The drum is offered gifts of tobacco during giveaways and musicians acknowledge this by standing.^[16]

Singing[edit]

While the drum is central to pow wows, «the drum only helps them keep beat. Dancers key on the melody of the song. Rhythms, tones, pitch all help create their ‘moves’.» (p. 85) Note that Bill Runs Above did not mention the lyrics of the songs, and while they are no doubt important, most lyrics of most songs employ vocables, syllable sounds such as «ya», «hey», and «loi» (p. 86).^[17] This is particularly evident in intertribal songs, such as the AIM Song, which cannot be biased towards a certain language.

The song structure consists of four pushups, singing the chorus and verse through four times. In each chorus the melody is introduced or led off by the lead singer whose is then seconded by another singer who begins to vary the melody before the end of the leader’s first line. They are then joined by the entire chorus for the rest of the pushup. Three down strokes or hard beats^[18] mark the end of the chorus and beginning of the verse, and during these dancers will alter their dancing such as by hopping low like fancy dancers. An increase in tempo and volume on the last five beats marks the end of the final verse. The dancing stops on the final beat and then a tail, or coda, finishes the song with a shortened chorus.^[19] Sometimes a drum group will sing the song more than four times, particularly when the song feels good and the singers seize the moment for an extra pushup or two (or more), or when a dancer blows a whistle or passes his staff or fan over the drum to signal that the song is to be continued four extra pushups while he prays.

Singing differs by region in that a high falsetto is used in the north while in the south a lower range is used. «To the unfamiliar listener, Indian singing sounds exotic, different, and difficult to comprehend,» and the contrast in the quality or timbre of voice used in traditional Indian and European musics may have much to do with that difficulty. However, «to the trained ear, melodies flow, ascend and descend» while dancers react to changes in the structure of the melody and the song. Boye Ladd says, «If you give me a stink song, I’ll dance stink. If you give me good music, I’ll give you a great show,» implying that one can appreciate the music through the dancing, which is readily appreciated by everyone.^[19] But others say that today’s contemporary contest dancers are expected to dance their best no matter how well or poor the drum group is that is singing for their contest. Generally, Native American singing follows a pentatonic scale (as if playing only the black keys on a piano) and 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.

See also[edit]

• Potlatch
• Wild Westing

References[edit]

Works cited[edit]

• Hatton, O. Thomas (1974). «Performance Practices of Northern Plains Pow-Wow Singing Groups», Anuario Interamericano de Investigacion Musical, Vol. 10, pp. 123–137 JSTOR 779841.
• Kyi-Yo (2007). Kyi-Yo Celebration. Kyi-Yo student organization, Native American studies, University of Montana.
• Nettl, Bruno (1989). Blackfoot Musical Thought: Comparative Perspectives. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-370-2.
• Roberts, Chris (1992). Powwow Country. ISBN 1-56037-025-4.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Pow wows at Wikimedia Commons
• Library of Congress collection of Omaha Pow-wow music

Содержание:

• Оформление
• Пригласительные
• Костюмы
• Меню, сервировка
• Развлечения

Хочется забыть о ворохе повседневных мелочей и почувствовать себя единым целым с Природой? Тематическая индейская вечеринка на день рождения или по другому поводу станет не просто отдыхом от будней, но и веселым ярким праздником!

При мысли о легендарных могиканах или отважных пауни воображение рисует бескрайние саванны, прерии, тенистые леса. Несколько типи, костер посреди поляны, вокруг «охотничьи» угодья: вечеринка в индейском стиле на природе – идеальный вариант!

Свежий воздух пьянит куда сильнее огненной воды, на декорации уйдет минимум времени, а конкурсы по стрельбе из лука и метанию копья по-настоящему зрелищны только в условиях достаточного пространства.

Если погода не располагает к празднику на природе, сценарий индейской вечеринки можно реализовать в помещении. Где именно – не играет большой роли, главное чтобы гостям не было тесно (тема скорее для активного отдыха, а не посиделок за столом).

Оформление

В традиционном представлении коренные американцы живут на лоне природы за счет охоты, собирательства и натурального хозяйства. А значит, плохо вписываются в индейский стиль чересчур необычные идеи оформления, избыток декораций, показная роскошь. Но, разумеется, атмосфера должна получиться праздничной, ведь это вечеринка, а не историческая реконструкция.

По возможности избавьтесь от всего лишнего, чтобы хватило места для обеденной зоны, отдыха и развлечений. Начните подготовку с запасом времени, т.к. многие атрибуты и декорации для индейской вечеринки придется делать своими руками.

Предлагаем идеи:

• необычные этнические узоры привнесут национальный колорит – замените шторы, покрывала, сшейте наволочки для подушек (можно будет с комфортом сидеть вокруг костра). Если столь глобальная подготовка в планы не входит, распечатайте орнамент на бумагу, купите ткань на ленты (пригодятся для гирлянд, украшения композиций, посуды);

• при желании индейская вечеринка для взрослых пройдет на природе, даже если гости соберутся дома! Атмосферу густого леса или прерии легко воссоздать своими руками:
  • превратите люстру в солнце. Из проволоки сделайте шар, с помощью скотча обтяните его желтой гофрированной бумагой, закрепите над плафоном или лампой, если плафон можно снять. Из той же гофры соберите длинные кисти, приклейте на шар;
  • из картона вырежьте силуэты больших кактусов, кустов, деревьев. Сверху наклейте рисунок, поставьте бутафорские растения у стен (замечательно впишутся настоящие кактусы, тропические горшечные цветы);
  • населите комнату тотемными птицами и животными: гризли, бизоны, рыси, волки, мустанги, олени, белоголовые орлы и змеи. Ростовые силуэты с картинкой поверх плотной основы, сувениры.

• пусть гости поверят, что неподалеку бродят самые настоящие индейцы! Доказательством послужат шаманские маски и оленьи рога, этническая посуда, барабаны и пр. музыкальные инструменты, оружие – копья, луки, томагавки;

Все перечисленные декорации легко сделать своими руками из подручных материалов. Примеры и МК есть в сети, это легко: расписать картонные маски, нарисовать геометрический узор акрилом на горшках/мисках, обтянуть тканью и бечевкой жестянки от чая, печенья (барабаны).

• индейские амулеты, ловцы снов, талисманы и тотемы добавят мистическую нотку в оформление зала. Если под рукой нет отесанного бревна (мало ли =), соберите тотемы из коробок, поставленных одна на одну + распечатка или рисунок поверх. Для амулетов пригодятся кожаные фигурки и кисточки, гипсовые «клыки», перья, бусины;

• найдите место для типи (вигвама), пусть даже миниатюрного – это самая яркая декорация на индейской вечеринке! Для взрослых неважно, можно ли забраться внутрь, он нужен скорее ради антуража. Типи легко собрать своими руками из палок/пластиковых труб:
  • скрепить верх «пучком»
  • сшить дно с петлями для опоры, куда будут вставляться палки
  • накинуть подходящей раскраски ткань, постелить «шкуру»

• перед жилищем раскидайте подушки, поставьте котелок и пр. утварь, «разожгите» костер: спрячьте в комок красной гофрированной бумаги электрическую гирлянду или фонарь, окружите кострище бумажными языками пламени, обложите камнями/дровами.

Тематические фото помогут создать нужную атмосферу – индейцы в национальных костюмах, на охоте, танцующие и т.п. Очень красивы портреты краснокожих воинов с оружием, священными животными, на фоне стоянки племени.

Если это вечеринка на день рождения, украсьте комнату гирляндами и шарами. На шарах можно нарисовать схематичные изображения в индейском стиле, из таких же картинок собрать гирлянды, украсив их перьями, бусинами и пр. элементами амулетов. Яркие гирлянды получатся из бумажных шаманских масок, тотемов, треугольников типи.

Пригласительные

Оригинальное приглашение на индейскую вечеринку, сделанное своими руками – не только знак внимания, но и способ создать настроение еще до начала праздника.

Предлагаем необычные идеи:

• пирога с откидной волной. Нарисовать лодку, перевернуть вверх дном и пририсовать снизу гребни волны. На волне написать текст (лодка все еще вверх дном, иначе приглашение будет повернуто неправильно). Вырезать одним целым, загнуть волну вверх, чтобы она прикрыла часть кормы;

• шалаш с текстом внутри. Края прямоугольника сложить внутрь, чтобы получился типи с двумя распашными полами. Лишнее обрезать, снаружи раскрасить индейскими узорами. Приглашение внутри (чтобы прочесть, нужно откинуть обе «полы» вигвама);

• открытка с ловцом снов. На заготовку приклеить ободок, три пера снизу и петлю сверху, украсить бисером. Вязь ловца снов – основной текст по кругу внутри ободка, а подробности приглашения на обороте.

Придумайте гостям индейские имена, используйте стилизованный шрифт, приветствие «Хау». Если с юмором, пригласите соплеменников на ежегодный pow wow по случаю дня рождения шамана/вождя.

Костюмы

В зависимости от повода и формата праздника, дресс-код может быть очень разным. Но в любом случае костюмы индейцев требуют подготовки, поэтому о предстоящей вечеринке сообщите друзьям заранее. Варианты одежды:

• обычная клубная/вечерняя + тематические аксессуары. Для молодежной пати, если мало времени на подготовку;

• современная одежда в индейском стиле. Для вечеринки в кафе, ресторане, на природе. Это как футболки с тематическим принтом, так и яркие платья/рубахи из ткани с этническим узором;

• костюмы «настоящих» индейцев – прокат или шить. Узнаваемые платья или топ с юбкой: «V»-образный низ, бахрома на рукавах и подоле, цвет белый или любые оттенки бежевого. Мужчинам свободные брюки + рубаха, та же бахрома, кожаные либо меховые вставки, яркая оторочка.

Небольшая переделка превратит старую одежду в индейский костюм – нарезать лапшой рукава, низ футболки или подол платья, штанины брюк, шорт. Если праздник на природе, от вечерней прохлады спасет пончо или безразмерный пестрый свитер (захватите пледы для гостей).

Образ не будет полным без аксессуаров – индейские амулеты, серьги, браслеты, налобная лента с перьями (всё это легко сделать своими руками). Волосы лучше оставить распущенными или заплести в две косы. Атмосферно смотрятся чуть растрепанные косички со вставками из перьев, «костей», нитей бусин. А на голове воина яркий ирокез (тушь для волос – смывается полностью).

Последний штрих – боевая раскраска на лице. Для такого макияжа идеален аквагрим (не течет, но смывается). Этот момент можно включить в сценарий вечеринки – приглашенные индейцы раскрасят друг другу лица по одному из распечатанных шаблонов. И не забудьте подготовить для гостей бутафорские луки, ножи, копья, топоры и пр. оружие.

Меню, сервировка

Для шпажек, мини-топперов и трубочек распечатайте картинки в индейском стиле – так украшение стола и блюд меню займет минимум времени. Купите стилизованную посуду, скатерть. Подойдет одноразовая разноцветная посуда или, наоборот, скромная землистого цвета (будто глиняная). В последнем случае накройте стол льняной скатертью/мешковиной.

Яркое украшение меню и стола – бутафорские стрелы из зубочисток, шпажек, коктейльных трубочек. Нужно только приклеить к одному концу перо, настоящее или бумажное. На таких шпажках отлично смотрится шашлык, мармелад, кусочки фруктов.

Положите на ветчину ломтик сыра, тонко нарезанный огурец и др. овощи, сверните кульком и проткните зубочисткой наискосок – получатся канапе в форме типи. Шалашики легко сложить из печенья, вафель, шоколада. Можно охладить желе и мороженое в конусах, а потом перевернуть на блюдце острием вверх.

Разноцветные фрукты нарежьте перьями и выложите послойно дугами, чтобы на блюде вырисовывались ряды головного убора. Фруктов и овощей в меню должно быть много, а сервировать желательно по-домашнему просто. Испеките печенье лодочки (украсьте мастикой как пирогу), треугольники (вигвамы), квадраты (тотемы с пестрыми лицами духов).

На день рождения закажите торт в индейском стиле – вигвам, барабан с танцующими на нем фигурками из мастики, костер (необычные идеи тортов можно подсмотреть в сети).

Меню на индейской вечеринке уместно любое, но желательно включить мясо (на природе шашлык/барбекю), запеченную целиком рыбу, печеный в кожуре картофель, вареную кукурузу. Алкоголь по вкусам гостей, а для антуража какао или горячий шоколад как главный подарок от коренных американцев всему миру.

Развлечения

В праздник с бюджетом плюс прекрасно впишутся зрелищные шоу – метатели ножей/копий, этнический танцевальный/музыкальный ансамбль, танцы со змеями, огненное шоу. Если это индейская вечеринка на природе до поздней ночи – дикие пляски вокруг костра, игра на барабанах (отбивать ритм умеют все, не сомневайтесь!), тематические песни.

Этническая индейская музыка одурманивает, побуждая к веселью даже самых стеснительных гостей! Но желательно включить в трек-лист и обычные песни про индейцев (смешные, популярные), чтобы разбавить инструментальную музыку привычными мотивами.

Предлагаем построить сценарий индейской вечеринки на соперничестве двух племен. Начать праздник можно с выбора названия общин, новых имен (Меткая Стрела, Огненный Ястреб и т.п.) и назначения капитана – вождя племени. За конкурсы индейцы получают бусину (все или только вожак победителей), которую нужно повесить на шнурок (ожерелье или браслет). Абсолютный победитель определяется по кол-ву бусин к финалу сценария.

Если индейцев на вечеринке немного, можно проводить конкурсы в формате каждый за себя. Тогда за командные развлечения награждаются все участники победившего племени. Т.е. произвольно разделить гостей перед конкурсом, если он рассчитан на борьбу групп, а потом опять каждый воин сражается за свою победу.

Викторина для погружения в тему (старт сценария)

Ворох бумажек со словами, которые нужно собрать парами (найти нашему слову индейское соответствие). Т.к. вечеринка для взрослых, просто сделайте много бумажек, не стараясь найти сложные определения. Смысл будет в том, чтобы правильно разложить их раньше соперников.

Примеры:

Пау-вау – праздник

Мокасины – обувь

Пирога – лодка

Скальп – трофей

Типи – дом

Скво – женщина и т.п.

Прыжки через «костер»

Цель – перепрыгнуть пирамиду из одноразовых красных стаканчиков, не разрушив её. С каждым этапом костер всё больше/выше разгорается. Чтобы не пришлось покупать гору стаканов, можно подставлять под пирамиду коробки. Дамам рекомендуем снять каблуки.

Чанки

В оригинальном варианте этого индейского конкурса (нац. соревнование) ведущий подбрасывает в небо кольца, а участник должен метнуть копье так, чтобы оно прошло через как можно большее кол-во движущихся мишеней. Упрощенный вариант – «баранки» подвешены рядком на веревке (тоннель), которую держат 2 помощника. Задача та же – пронзить копьем макс. кол-во колец из картона.

За трофеем

Смешная эстафета: на коняшке (деревянный, длинный шарик и т.п.) скачешь до финиша, снимаешь с кочана капусты 1 лист (скальп), возвращаешься и передаешь «транспорт» следующему соплеменнику. Побеждает команда, быстрее оголившая кочан до кочерыжки или участники которой первыми в полном составе получили трофеи.

Охота на бизона

В сценарий индейской вечеринки для взрослых впишутся любые конкурсы на меткость. Предлагаем атмосферный вариант игры, цель которой – набрать больше очков. Картонный щит/коробка с рисунком бизона, на разных частях тела свои баллы (за попадание в глаз 50, в тушу 20, в сердце 100 и т.п.). Три попытки метнуть дротик, результаты суммируются.

Переправа

Две команды, по одному участнику – лодочники. Им нужно выдать большие трусы (сшить бутафорские). В одну из «штанин» забирается лодочник, во вторую – его соплеменник, встают один за другим. Пирога стартует на финиш, пассажир выбирается, а лодочник спешит за следующим. Все соплеменники переправлены на другой берег?

Победа!

Трогательное завершение сценария дня рождения в индейском стиле – коллективное поздравление «Трубка мира». Гости рассаживаются вокруг бутафорского костра (если вечеринка не на природе), по очереди говорят тосты, выпивая рюмку огненной воды. Затем нужно нарисовать на длинном «свитке» своё пожелание (именно схематично изобразить, это веселее писанины), свернуть часть свитка и передать его следующему. В руках именинника окажется свернутый в трубочку лист с пожеланиями, которые непременно сбудутся!

This article is about Native American/First Nations gatherings. For other uses, see Pow wow (disambiguation).

A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or public, indoors or outdoors. Dancing events can be competitive with monetary prizes. Powwows vary in length from single-day to weeklong events.

In mainstream American culture, such as 20th-century Western movies or by military personnel, the term powwow has been used to refer to any type of meeting. This usage has been considered both offensive and falling under cultural misappropriation.^[1]

History[edit]

The word powwow is derived from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning «spiritual leader».^[2] The term itself has variants including Powaw, Pawaw, Powah, Pauwau and Pawau.^[3] A number of tribes claim to have held the «first» pow wow.^[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, which he published in 1921, that limited the times of the year in which Native Americans could practice traditional dance, which he deemed as directly threatening the Christian religion.^[5] However, many Native communities continued to gather together in secret to practice their cultures’ dance and music, in defiance of this, and other, legislation. By the mid-twentieth century, pow wows were also being held in the Great Lakes region.^[4]

Organization[edit]

Planning for a pow wow generally begins months, perhaps even a year, in advance of the event by a group of people usually referred to as a pow wow committee. Pow wows may be sponsored by a tribal organization, by an American Native community within an urban area, a Native American Studies program or American Native club on a college or university campus, tribe, or any other organization that can provide startup funds, insurance, and volunteer workers.

Committee[edit]

A pow wow committee consists of several individuals who do all the planning before the event. 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. The committee is responsible to recruit and hire the head staff, publicize the pow wow, securing a location, and recruiting vendors who pay for the right to set up and sell food or merchandise at the pow wow.

Staff[edit]

The head staff of a pow-wow are the people who run the event on the day or days it occurs. They are generally hired by the pow wow committee several months in advance, as the quality of the head staff can affect attendance.^[6] To be chosen as part of the head staff is an honor, showing respect for the person’s skills or dedication.

Arena Director[edit]

Master of Ceremonies[edit]

The master of ceremonies, or MC, is the voice of the pow wow. It is his job to keep the singers, dancers, and public informed as to what is happening. The MC sets the schedule of events and maintains the drum rotation, or order of when each drum group gets to sing. The MC is also responsible for filling any dead air time that may occur during the pow wow, often with jokes. The MC often runs any raffles or other contests that may happen during the pow wow.

Head dancers[edit]

The head dancers consist of the Head Man Dancer and the Head Woman Dancer, and often Head Teen Dancers, Head Little Boy and Girl Dancers, Head Golden Age Dancers, and a Head Gourd Dancer if the pow wow has a Gourd Dance. The head dancers lead the other dancers in the grand entry or parade of dancers that opens a pow-wow. In many cases, the head dancers are also responsible for leading the dancers during songs, and often dancers will not enter the arena unless the head dancers are already out dancing.

Host drums and drum groups[edit]

The singers play while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow-wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, veterans or victory song to start the pow-wow. As well as a flag song, retreat song, and closing song to end the pow wow. Additionally, if a pow-wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing special songs during the pow-wow.

Famous host drums include Black Lodge Singers, Cozad Singers, and Yellowhammer.

The event[edit]

Setup[edit]

A pow wow is often set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a larger circle consisting of the MC’s table, drum groups, and sitting areas for dancers and their families. Beyond these two circles for participants is an area for spectators, while outside of all are designated areas with vendor’s booths, where one can buy food (including frybread and Indian tacos), music, jewelry, souvenirs, arts and crafts, beadwork, leather, and regalia supplies.^[7]

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. It is particularly important to protect the drums used by the drum groups, as they are sensitive to temperature changes and, if it rains, they cannot get wet. Most vendors provide their own tents or shelters at an outdoor pow wow.

Etiquette[edit]

Pow wow etiquette is required; such as rules for when photography is or is not acceptable, protocol for the Grand Entry, and so on. A few guidelines are common; clothing worn by participants is known as «regalia» and not to be called a «costume.» Some rules are for common sense courtesy: drums have special rules and should not be touched or played by those not a part of the drum group. People and their regalia should not be touched without permission.^[8] Photographs are also a big part of pow wow etiquette. Depending on the reservation and ceremony, viewers should ask before taking photographs or recording videos or tapes. Some tribes, such as the Pascua Yaqui and Hopi, ban photos and sketches of ceremonies.^[9]

Opening[edit]

A pow-wow session begins with the Grand Entry and, in most cases, a prayer. The Eagle Staff leads the Grand Entry, followed by flags, then the dancers, while one of the host drums sings an opening song. This event is sacred in nature; some pow wows do not allow filming or photography during this time, though others allow it.

If military veterans or active duty soldiers are present, they often carry the flags and eagle staffs. They are followed by the head dancers, then the remaining dancers usually enter the arena in a specific order: Men’s Traditional, Men’s Grass Dance, Men’s Fancy, Women’s Traditional, Women’s Jingle, and Women’s Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order. Following the Grand Entry, the MC will invite a respected member of the community to give an invocation. The host drum that did not sing the Grand Entry song will then sing a Flag Song, followed by a Victory or Veterans’ Song, during which the flags and staffs are posted at the MC’s table.

Dances[edit]

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. Similar dances are the round dance; crow hop when performed by a northern drum or a horse stealing song by a southern drum; there is also «double beat», «sneakup» and, for Women’s Traditional and Jingle, «sidestep». Each of these songs have a different step to be used during them, but are open for dancers of any style.

In addition to the open dances, contest dances for a particular style and age group are often held, with the top winners receiving a cash prize. To compete in a contest, the dancer must be in regalia appropriate for the competition. Larger pow wows have more specific categories. The dance categories vary somewhat by region, but general categories are as follows:^[10]

Men’s[edit]

• Fancy Dance or Fancy Feather Dance (Northern and Southern styles): A dance featuring vivid regalia with dramatic movement, including spins and leaps. Fancy dancers are distinguished by their bright colored regalia which consists of two large bustle worn on the upper and lower back.
• Northern Traditional (simply «Men’s Traditional» in the North): A dance featuring traditional regalia, including a single bustle, usually of eagle feathers, ribbon shirt, bone hair pipe choker and breastplate. Movements are based upon a warrior scouting before a battle or other story telling traditions tracing to when the powwow was first danced as a ceremony. The dancers carry a dance staff and a fan usually made from the wing of an eagle.^[11]
• Straight dance (or Southern traditional): Straight dancers usually are more neat and with more homemade features such as chokers, breastplates, etc. Their dances are like Northern, They take one foot and step on the ball of their foot and then they tap it once on the ground. Then they tap it once again but this time they put their heel a few millimeters above the ground and repeat the process with the other foot. They do this in a walking motion. It is very hard especially when following the beat of fast drums. If they catch themselves off beat they will tap their foot three times instead of two to get back with the drums’ rhythm.
• Grass Dance: A dance featuring regalia with long, flowing fringe and designs reminiscent of grass blowing in the wind. Dance movements are more elaborate than the traditional dancers, but less flashy than the fancy dancers.
• Chicken dance: a recent dance originating with the Northern Plains tribes. Dancers imitate the mating dance of the prairie chicken by rocking their heads back and forth as they spin from side to side in slow majestic movements. Regalia is less elaborate than other dances. It usually includes a porcupine hair roach and two long pheasant tail feathers that curl backwards with colored plumes. Dark, snug shirts and leggings are worn, covered by a drape over the chest and back with short fringe. The bustle is small, using small pheasant or eagle feathers circling the outside of the bustle board with bunches of small loose feathers or plumes in the center. Dancers carry a mirror board or a gourd in one hand and an eagle tail feather fan in the other. ^[11]
• Eastern War Dance: A dance from the East Coast that is a storytelling dance, Men wear no bustle however do carry a fan and dance stick. This is also called the «Eastern Strait Dance».

Women’s[edit]

• Traditional (seen at Northern pow wows): A dance featuring traditional regalia of cloth or leather, and dancers who perform with precise, highly controlled movement.
• Buckskin and Cloth: A traditional dance from the South. The name refers to the type of material of which the dress is made. The regalia is similar to the Northern traditional dance. However, in the South, buckskin and cloth dancers are judged in two separate categories. The dance steps are the same for both regalia categories.

• Fancy Shawl: A dance featuring women wearing brilliant colors, a long, usually fringed and decorated, shawl, performing rapid spins and elaborate dance steps.
• Jingle Dress (healing dance):The jingle dress includes a skirt with hundreds of small tin cones that make noise as the dancer moves with light footwork danced close to ground.

Normal intertribal dancing is an individual activity, but there are also couples and group dances. Couples dances include the two step and owl dance. In a two step each couple follows the lead of the head dancers, forming a line behind them, whereas in an owl dance each couple dances alone. Group dances dances include the Snake and Buffalo dance, where the group dances to mimic the motions of a snake in the beginning of the dance, then change to mimic the actions of a herd of buffalo.

At pow wows where there is a large Southern Plains community in the area, the Gourd Dance is often included before the start of the pow wow sessions. The gourd dance originated with the Kiowa tribe, whence it spread, and is a society dance for veterans and their families. Unlike other dances, the gourd dance is normally performed with the drum in the center of the dance arena, not on the side.

Music[edit]

Though there are many genres unique to different tribes pow wow music is characterized by pan or intertribalism with the Plains cultures, the originators of the modern pow wow, predominating. For information on dancing, see Dances.

Drumming[edit]

«Good drums get the dancers out there, good songs get them to dance well. Without drum groups there is no music. No music, no dance, no powwow.»^[12]

There may be many drums at a pow wow, especially weekend or week long ones, but each pow wow features a host drum which is accorded great respect. The members of drum groups are often family, extended family, or friends. Groups are then often named for families, geographic locations, tribal societies, or more colorful names. Many groups display their names on jackets, caps, vehicles, and chairs. Traditionally only men would drum and women would sit behind the men singing high harmonies. Beginning in the mid-1970s, women began drumming with men and seconding, or singing, an octave higher, the song.^[13] Today, there are mixed-gender and all-female drum groups.

The supplies a drum group carries include the drum, rawhide headed, a cloth bag for padded drum sticks, the drum stand, folding chairs for sitting, and, in some cases, a public address system. The drum head, stand, microphone stands, and PA box are often decorated with paintings or eagle feathers, fur, flags, and strips of colored cloth.^[14]

Readily noticeable in performances are the «hard beats» used to indicate sections of the song. The «traditional method» consists of a pronounced strike by all singers every other beat. These may appear in the first or second line of a song, the end of a section, before the repetition of a song. A cluster of three hard beats (on consecutive beats) may be used at the end of a series of hard beats, while a few beats in the first line of a song indicate performer enthusiasm. In the «Hot Five» method five beats are used, with the first hard beat four beats before the second, after which the beats alternate.^[15]

Etiquette[edit]

To understand drum protocol, a drum may be thought of as a person or being and is to be regarded and respected as such. Drum etiquette is highly important. There are regional variations. The drum is the central symbol of Oklahoma pow wows and is located in the center of the dance floor and pow wow (which are themselves shaped in concentric circles). Southern drums are suspended by four posts, one for each direction. Northern drums are set up on the outside of the dance area, with the host drum in the best position. Drummer-singers are expected to remain at their drum and ready to sing at any moment’s notice; a dancer might approach the drum and whistle, fan or gesture his staff over a drum to indicate his request for a song even if it is not that drum group’s turn to sing. In some regions it is considered disrespectful to leave a drum completely unattended. Some drum groups do not allow females to sit down at their drum but welcome them to stand behind the drummers and sing backup harmonies; the reasons for this point vaguely to a variety of tribal stories that attempt to tell the history of drumming as each group understands it. The drum is offered gifts of tobacco during giveaways and musicians acknowledge this by standing.^[16]

Singing[edit]

While the drum is central to pow wows, «the drum only helps them keep beat. Dancers key on the melody of the song. Rhythms, tones, pitch all help create their ‘moves’.» (p. 85) Note that Bill Runs Above did not mention the lyrics of the songs, and while they are no doubt important, most lyrics of most songs employ vocables, syllable sounds such as «ya», «hey», and «loi» (p. 86).^[17] This is particularly evident in intertribal songs, such as the AIM Song, which cannot be biased towards a certain language.

The song structure consists of four pushups, singing the chorus and verse through four times. In each chorus the melody is introduced or led off by the lead singer whose is then seconded by another singer who begins to vary the melody before the end of the leader’s first line. They are then joined by the entire chorus for the rest of the pushup. Three down strokes or hard beats^[18] mark the end of the chorus and beginning of the verse, and during these dancers will alter their dancing such as by hopping low like fancy dancers. An increase in tempo and volume on the last five beats marks the end of the final verse. The dancing stops on the final beat and then a tail, or coda, finishes the song with a shortened chorus.^[19] Sometimes a drum group will sing the song more than four times, particularly when the song feels good and the singers seize the moment for an extra pushup or two (or more), or when a dancer blows a whistle or passes his staff or fan over the drum to signal that the song is to be continued four extra pushups while he prays.

Singing differs by region in that a high falsetto is used in the north while in the south a lower range is used. «To the unfamiliar listener, Indian singing sounds exotic, different, and difficult to comprehend,» and the contrast in the quality or timbre of voice used in traditional Indian and European musics may have much to do with that difficulty. However, «to the trained ear, melodies flow, ascend and descend» while dancers react to changes in the structure of the melody and the song. Boye Ladd says, «If you give me a stink song, I’ll dance stink. If you give me good music, I’ll give you a great show,» implying that one can appreciate the music through the dancing, which is readily appreciated by everyone.^[19] But others say that today’s contemporary contest dancers are expected to dance their best no matter how well or poor the drum group is that is singing for their contest. Generally, Native American singing follows a pentatonic scale (as if playing only the black keys on a piano) and 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.

See also[edit]

• Potlatch
• Wild Westing

References[edit]

Works cited[edit]

• Hatton, O. Thomas (1974). «Performance Practices of Northern Plains Pow-Wow Singing Groups», Anuario Interamericano de Investigacion Musical, Vol. 10, pp. 123–137 JSTOR 779841.
• Kyi-Yo (2007). Kyi-Yo Celebration. Kyi-Yo student organization, Native American studies, University of Montana.
• Nettl, Bruno (1989). Blackfoot Musical Thought: Comparative Perspectives. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-370-2.
• Roberts, Chris (1992). Powwow Country. ISBN 1-56037-025-4.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Pow wows at Wikimedia Commons
• Library of Congress collection of Omaha Pow-wow music

This article is about Native American/First Nations gatherings. For other uses, see Pow wow (disambiguation).

A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or public, indoors or outdoors. Dancing events can be competitive with monetary prizes. Powwows vary in length from single-day to weeklong events.

In mainstream American culture, such as 20th-century Western movies or by military personnel, the term powwow has been used to refer to any type of meeting. This usage has been considered both offensive and falling under cultural misappropriation.^[1]

History[edit]

The word powwow is derived from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning «spiritual leader».^[2] The term itself has variants including Powaw, Pawaw, Powah, Pauwau and Pawau.^[3] A number of tribes claim to have held the «first» pow wow.^[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, which he published in 1921, that limited the times of the year in which Native Americans could practice traditional dance, which he deemed as directly threatening the Christian religion.^[5] However, many Native communities continued to gather together in secret to practice their cultures’ dance and music, in defiance of this, and other, legislation. By the mid-twentieth century, pow wows were also being held in the Great Lakes region.^[4]

Organization[edit]

Planning for a pow wow generally begins months, perhaps even a year, in advance of the event by a group of people usually referred to as a pow wow committee. Pow wows may be sponsored by a tribal organization, by an American Native community within an urban area, a Native American Studies program or American Native club on a college or university campus, tribe, or any other organization that can provide startup funds, insurance, and volunteer workers.

Committee[edit]

A pow wow committee consists of several individuals who do all the planning before the event. 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. The committee is responsible to recruit and hire the head staff, publicize the pow wow, securing a location, and recruiting vendors who pay for the right to set up and sell food or merchandise at the pow wow.

Staff[edit]

The head staff of a pow-wow are the people who run the event on the day or days it occurs. They are generally hired by the pow wow committee several months in advance, as the quality of the head staff can affect attendance.^[6] To be chosen as part of the head staff is an honor, showing respect for the person’s skills or dedication.

Arena Director[edit]

Master of Ceremonies[edit]

The master of ceremonies, or MC, is the voice of the pow wow. It is his job to keep the singers, dancers, and public informed as to what is happening. The MC sets the schedule of events and maintains the drum rotation, or order of when each drum group gets to sing. The MC is also responsible for filling any dead air time that may occur during the pow wow, often with jokes. The MC often runs any raffles or other contests that may happen during the pow wow.

Head dancers[edit]

The head dancers consist of the Head Man Dancer and the Head Woman Dancer, and often Head Teen Dancers, Head Little Boy and Girl Dancers, Head Golden Age Dancers, and a Head Gourd Dancer if the pow wow has a Gourd Dance. The head dancers lead the other dancers in the grand entry or parade of dancers that opens a pow-wow. In many cases, the head dancers are also responsible for leading the dancers during songs, and often dancers will not enter the arena unless the head dancers are already out dancing.

Host drums and drum groups[edit]

The singers play while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow-wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, veterans or victory song to start the pow-wow. As well as a flag song, retreat song, and closing song to end the pow wow. Additionally, if a pow-wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing special songs during the pow-wow.

Famous host drums include Black Lodge Singers, Cozad Singers, and Yellowhammer.

The event[edit]

Setup[edit]

A pow wow is often set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a larger circle consisting of the MC’s table, drum groups, and sitting areas for dancers and their families. Beyond these two circles for participants is an area for spectators, while outside of all are designated areas with vendor’s booths, where one can buy food (including frybread and Indian tacos), music, jewelry, souvenirs, arts and crafts, beadwork, leather, and regalia supplies.^[7]

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. It is particularly important to protect the drums used by the drum groups, as they are sensitive to temperature changes and, if it rains, they cannot get wet. Most vendors provide their own tents or shelters at an outdoor pow wow.

Etiquette[edit]

Pow wow etiquette is required; such as rules for when photography is or is not acceptable, protocol for the Grand Entry, and so on. A few guidelines are common; clothing worn by participants is known as «regalia» and not to be called a «costume.» Some rules are for common sense courtesy: drums have special rules and should not be touched or played by those not a part of the drum group. People and their regalia should not be touched without permission.^[8] Photographs are also a big part of pow wow etiquette. Depending on the reservation and ceremony, viewers should ask before taking photographs or recording videos or tapes. Some tribes, such as the Pascua Yaqui and Hopi, ban photos and sketches of ceremonies.^[9]

Opening[edit]

A pow-wow session begins with the Grand Entry and, in most cases, a prayer. The Eagle Staff leads the Grand Entry, followed by flags, then the dancers, while one of the host drums sings an opening song. This event is sacred in nature; some pow wows do not allow filming or photography during this time, though others allow it.

If military veterans or active duty soldiers are present, they often carry the flags and eagle staffs. They are followed by the head dancers, then the remaining dancers usually enter the arena in a specific order: Men’s Traditional, Men’s Grass Dance, Men’s Fancy, Women’s Traditional, Women’s Jingle, and Women’s Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order. Following the Grand Entry, the MC will invite a respected member of the community to give an invocation. The host drum that did not sing the Grand Entry song will then sing a Flag Song, followed by a Victory or Veterans’ Song, during which the flags and staffs are posted at the MC’s table.

Dances[edit]

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. Similar dances are the round dance; crow hop when performed by a northern drum or a horse stealing song by a southern drum; there is also «double beat», «sneakup» and, for Women’s Traditional and Jingle, «sidestep». Each of these songs have a different step to be used during them, but are open for dancers of any style.

In addition to the open dances, contest dances for a particular style and age group are often held, with the top winners receiving a cash prize. To compete in a contest, the dancer must be in regalia appropriate for the competition. Larger pow wows have more specific categories. The dance categories vary somewhat by region, but general categories are as follows:^[10]

Men’s[edit]

• Fancy Dance or Fancy Feather Dance (Northern and Southern styles): A dance featuring vivid regalia with dramatic movement, including spins and leaps. Fancy dancers are distinguished by their bright colored regalia which consists of two large bustle worn on the upper and lower back.
• Northern Traditional (simply «Men’s Traditional» in the North): A dance featuring traditional regalia, including a single bustle, usually of eagle feathers, ribbon shirt, bone hair pipe choker and breastplate. Movements are based upon a warrior scouting before a battle or other story telling traditions tracing to when the powwow was first danced as a ceremony. The dancers carry a dance staff and a fan usually made from the wing of an eagle.^[11]
• Straight dance (or Southern traditional): Straight dancers usually are more neat and with more homemade features such as chokers, breastplates, etc. Their dances are like Northern, They take one foot and step on the ball of their foot and then they tap it once on the ground. Then they tap it once again but this time they put their heel a few millimeters above the ground and repeat the process with the other foot. They do this in a walking motion. It is very hard especially when following the beat of fast drums. If they catch themselves off beat they will tap their foot three times instead of two to get back with the drums’ rhythm.
• Grass Dance: A dance featuring regalia with long, flowing fringe and designs reminiscent of grass blowing in the wind. Dance movements are more elaborate than the traditional dancers, but less flashy than the fancy dancers.
• Chicken dance: a recent dance originating with the Northern Plains tribes. Dancers imitate the mating dance of the prairie chicken by rocking their heads back and forth as they spin from side to side in slow majestic movements. Regalia is less elaborate than other dances. It usually includes a porcupine hair roach and two long pheasant tail feathers that curl backwards with colored plumes. Dark, snug shirts and leggings are worn, covered by a drape over the chest and back with short fringe. The bustle is small, using small pheasant or eagle feathers circling the outside of the bustle board with bunches of small loose feathers or plumes in the center. Dancers carry a mirror board or a gourd in one hand and an eagle tail feather fan in the other. ^[11]
• Eastern War Dance: A dance from the East Coast that is a storytelling dance, Men wear no bustle however do carry a fan and dance stick. This is also called the «Eastern Strait Dance».

Women’s[edit]

• Traditional (seen at Northern pow wows): A dance featuring traditional regalia of cloth or leather, and dancers who perform with precise, highly controlled movement.
• Buckskin and Cloth: A traditional dance from the South. The name refers to the type of material of which the dress is made. The regalia is similar to the Northern traditional dance. However, in the South, buckskin and cloth dancers are judged in two separate categories. The dance steps are the same for both regalia categories.

• Fancy Shawl: A dance featuring women wearing brilliant colors, a long, usually fringed and decorated, shawl, performing rapid spins and elaborate dance steps.
• Jingle Dress (healing dance):The jingle dress includes a skirt with hundreds of small tin cones that make noise as the dancer moves with light footwork danced close to ground.

Normal intertribal dancing is an individual activity, but there are also couples and group dances. Couples dances include the two step and owl dance. In a two step each couple follows the lead of the head dancers, forming a line behind them, whereas in an owl dance each couple dances alone. Group dances dances include the Snake and Buffalo dance, where the group dances to mimic the motions of a snake in the beginning of the dance, then change to mimic the actions of a herd of buffalo.

At pow wows where there is a large Southern Plains community in the area, the Gourd Dance is often included before the start of the pow wow sessions. The gourd dance originated with the Kiowa tribe, whence it spread, and is a society dance for veterans and their families. Unlike other dances, the gourd dance is normally performed with the drum in the center of the dance arena, not on the side.

Music[edit]

Though there are many genres unique to different tribes pow wow music is characterized by pan or intertribalism with the Plains cultures, the originators of the modern pow wow, predominating. For information on dancing, see Dances.

Drumming[edit]

«Good drums get the dancers out there, good songs get them to dance well. Without drum groups there is no music. No music, no dance, no powwow.»^[12]

There may be many drums at a pow wow, especially weekend or week long ones, but each pow wow features a host drum which is accorded great respect. The members of drum groups are often family, extended family, or friends. Groups are then often named for families, geographic locations, tribal societies, or more colorful names. Many groups display their names on jackets, caps, vehicles, and chairs. Traditionally only men would drum and women would sit behind the men singing high harmonies. Beginning in the mid-1970s, women began drumming with men and seconding, or singing, an octave higher, the song.^[13] Today, there are mixed-gender and all-female drum groups.

The supplies a drum group carries include the drum, rawhide headed, a cloth bag for padded drum sticks, the drum stand, folding chairs for sitting, and, in some cases, a public address system. The drum head, stand, microphone stands, and PA box are often decorated with paintings or eagle feathers, fur, flags, and strips of colored cloth.^[14]

Readily noticeable in performances are the «hard beats» used to indicate sections of the song. The «traditional method» consists of a pronounced strike by all singers every other beat. These may appear in the first or second line of a song, the end of a section, before the repetition of a song. A cluster of three hard beats (on consecutive beats) may be used at the end of a series of hard beats, while a few beats in the first line of a song indicate performer enthusiasm. In the «Hot Five» method five beats are used, with the first hard beat four beats before the second, after which the beats alternate.^[15]

Etiquette[edit]

To understand drum protocol, a drum may be thought of as a person or being and is to be regarded and respected as such. Drum etiquette is highly important. There are regional variations. The drum is the central symbol of Oklahoma pow wows and is located in the center of the dance floor and pow wow (which are themselves shaped in concentric circles). Southern drums are suspended by four posts, one for each direction. Northern drums are set up on the outside of the dance area, with the host drum in the best position. Drummer-singers are expected to remain at their drum and ready to sing at any moment’s notice; a dancer might approach the drum and whistle, fan or gesture his staff over a drum to indicate his request for a song even if it is not that drum group’s turn to sing. In some regions it is considered disrespectful to leave a drum completely unattended. Some drum groups do not allow females to sit down at their drum but welcome them to stand behind the drummers and sing backup harmonies; the reasons for this point vaguely to a variety of tribal stories that attempt to tell the history of drumming as each group understands it. The drum is offered gifts of tobacco during giveaways and musicians acknowledge this by standing.^[16]

Singing[edit]

While the drum is central to pow wows, «the drum only helps them keep beat. Dancers key on the melody of the song. Rhythms, tones, pitch all help create their ‘moves’.» (p. 85) Note that Bill Runs Above did not mention the lyrics of the songs, and while they are no doubt important, most lyrics of most songs employ vocables, syllable sounds such as «ya», «hey», and «loi» (p. 86).^[17] This is particularly evident in intertribal songs, such as the AIM Song, which cannot be biased towards a certain language.

The song structure consists of four pushups, singing the chorus and verse through four times. In each chorus the melody is introduced or led off by the lead singer whose is then seconded by another singer who begins to vary the melody before the end of the leader’s first line. They are then joined by the entire chorus for the rest of the pushup. Three down strokes or hard beats^[18] mark the end of the chorus and beginning of the verse, and during these dancers will alter their dancing such as by hopping low like fancy dancers. An increase in tempo and volume on the last five beats marks the end of the final verse. The dancing stops on the final beat and then a tail, or coda, finishes the song with a shortened chorus.^[19] Sometimes a drum group will sing the song more than four times, particularly when the song feels good and the singers seize the moment for an extra pushup or two (or more), or when a dancer blows a whistle or passes his staff or fan over the drum to signal that the song is to be continued four extra pushups while he prays.

Singing differs by region in that a high falsetto is used in the north while in the south a lower range is used. «To the unfamiliar listener, Indian singing sounds exotic, different, and difficult to comprehend,» and the contrast in the quality or timbre of voice used in traditional Indian and European musics may have much to do with that difficulty. However, «to the trained ear, melodies flow, ascend and descend» while dancers react to changes in the structure of the melody and the song. Boye Ladd says, «If you give me a stink song, I’ll dance stink. If you give me good music, I’ll give you a great show,» implying that one can appreciate the music through the dancing, which is readily appreciated by everyone.^[19] But others say that today’s contemporary contest dancers are expected to dance their best no matter how well or poor the drum group is that is singing for their contest. Generally, Native American singing follows a pentatonic scale (as if playing only the black keys on a piano) and 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.

See also[edit]

• Potlatch
• Wild Westing

References[edit]

Works cited[edit]

• Hatton, O. Thomas (1974). «Performance Practices of Northern Plains Pow-Wow Singing Groups», Anuario Interamericano de Investigacion Musical, Vol. 10, pp. 123–137 JSTOR 779841.
• Kyi-Yo (2007). Kyi-Yo Celebration. Kyi-Yo student organization, Native American studies, University of Montana.
• Nettl, Bruno (1989). Blackfoot Musical Thought: Comparative Perspectives. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-370-2.
• Roberts, Chris (1992). Powwow Country. ISBN 1-56037-025-4.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Pow wows at Wikimedia Commons
• Library of Congress collection of Omaha Pow-wow music

Пау-вау (также pow-wow, powwow, pow wow или pau wau) — собрание североамериканских индейцев. Название произошло из языка наррагансетт, от слова powwaw, значащего «духовный лидер».

Современный пау-вау — специфическое мероприятие, на котором американцы и индейцы собираются танцевать, петь, общаться, обсуждать индейскую культуру. На пау-вау проходят танцевальные соревнования, зачастую с денежными призами. Пау-вау может длиться от нескольких часов до трёх дней, а важнейшие пау-вау могут длиться и до недели.

«Пау-вау» в старых американских вестернах часто называли любое собрание индейцев.

Организация

Организация, как правило, начинается за несколько месяцев, а то и за год, людьми, входящими в так называемый пау-вау комитет. Пау-вау спонсируют племенные организации, American Indian community within an urban area, Native American Studies program и American Indian club, а также различные другие организации.

Мероприятия

Начало

Пау-вау обычно организовывается в несколько больших кругов. Центральный круг — танцевальная площадка, рядом с которой находятся столы, барабанщики и сидячие места для танцоров и их семей. Рядом находятся круги для корреспондентов и зрителей, рядом с которыми находятся лавки, в которых можно купить еды, сделать татуировку, купить диски с музыкой, украшения, сувениры, кожаные изделия и прочее^[1].

Открытие

Пау-вау начинается с Большого Выхода, с молитвы. Большой выход ведёт Eagle Staff, сопровождаемый флагом, затем идут танцоры, на одном из барабанов играется вступительная песнь. У этого действа имеется сакральное происхождение, на многих пау-вау его запрещено фотографировать и снимать на видео.

Далее танцоры входят в главный круг в особом порядке: традиционные мужские танцы, мужской танец на траве, мужская прихоть (импровизация), традиционные женские танцы, женский танец со звоном, женская прихоть (импровизация). Дети и подростки придерживаются того же порядка. После Большого Выхода Мастер Церемонии приглашает уважаемого члена сообщества провести инициацию. Один из главных барабанов, не игравших песнь Большого Выхода, играет Песнь Флага, сопровождаемую Песней Победы, на протяжении которой флаги устанавливают на столе Мастера Церемонии.

Танцы

Простейшие танцы — круговой танец, crow hop (исполняются под северный барабан), песня кражи лошади (южный барабан), также «double beat», «sneakup» и, среди традиционных женских танцев и танцев со звоном, «sidestep».

Мужские танцы

• Fancy Dance или Fancy Feather Dance (северный и южный стили)
• Northern Traditional (на севере называется просто «мужской традиционный»)
• Southern Straight
• Grass Dance

Женские танцы

• Traditional
• Buckskin and Cloth
• Fancy Shawl
• Jingle Dress (исцеляющий танец)

Музыка

Музыка пау-вау — сочетание барабанов, пения и танцев.

Барабаны

На пау-вау может быть множество барабанов, но на каждом пау-вау есть главный барабан, который пользуется наибольшим авторитетом. Члены групп барабанщиков часто являются родственниками, семьями. Группы часто называют по семейному имени, по географическому расположению, названию племени. По традиции, на барабанах играют только мужчины, а женщины должна сидеть перед ними для большей гармонии. С 1970-х женщины стали барабанить вместе с мужчинами в аккомпанемент, или петь, октавой выше, песни^[3]. Сегодня существуют как смешанные, так и состоящие лишь из женщин группы барабанщиков.

Этикет барабанщиков

Для понимания этого этикета нужно учесть, что у барабану относятся как к уважаемой персоне. Этикет крайне важен. Он различается от региона к региону. Барабан — центральный символ пау-вау в Оклахоме, там они располагаются в центре танцевальной площадки (в свою очередь, образовывая круги). Южные барабаны расставляются по четырём сторонам света. Северные барабаны расставляются вне площадки. Люди приносят музыкантам воду и всячески помогают при необходимости^[4].

Пение

Песня по структуре состоит из четырёх зарядок, пения хором и четырёх тем.

Талантливые певцы поют также не в ритм, ставя слова между ударами барабана, не ориентируясь на них и «это, возможно, самое большое препятствие для понимания не-индейцем индейских песен»^[6].

Пау-вау в России

Пау-вау — большой круг на российской Радуге, проводящийся традиционно дважды в день, утром и вечером. Когда приготовлена общая еда, от основной поляны начинают хором звать на пау-вау, и этот зов передаётся по всей территории Радуги. На пау-вау стараются собраться все присутствующие. По традиции, на Радуге все встают в круг, и, держась за руки, поют «ом». После этого в кругу делаются объявления, добровольцы раздают приготовленную еду.

В России также проводятся и более близкие к американским пау-вау фестивали, значительно меньшие по размерам. Они проводятся в среде так называемых индеанистов. Индеанисты занимаются изучением индейской культуры, в основном североамериканских племён.

Пау-вау в России проводятся ежегодно в Санкт-Петербурге, Москве, Сибири. О культуре российских индеанистов подробно рассказывает фильм «Голоса» (режиссёр Андрей Ветер).

См. также

• Кухня индейцев

Примечания

• Hatton, O. Thomas (1974). «Performance Practices of Northern Plains Pow-Wow Singing Groups», Anuario Interamericano de Investigacion Musical, Vol. 10, pp. 123-137.
• Kyi-Yo (2007). Kyi-Yo Celebration. Kyi-Yo student organization, Native American studies, University of Montana.
• Nettl, Bruno (1989). Blackfoot Musical Thought: Comparative Perspectives. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-370-2.
• Roberts, Chris (1992). Powwow Country. ISBN 1-56037-025-4.

Ссылки

	Пау-вау на Викискладе?

• Powwow Time Сайт пау-вау сообщества: календарь, музыка  (англ.)
• PowWow Radio Бесплатное круглосуточное радио пау-вау музыки  (англ.)
• www.powwow-power.com больше информации о традициях и этикете  (англ.)
• Барабан Пау-вау
• Правила пау-вау
• Pow Wow Spb
• Пау Вау в Польше и Европе

… Барабан – хорошая вещь для того, чтобы подружиться… Так они стали друзьями. Приходят откуда-нибудь с юга, или с востока, или с севера, и говорят: «Мы хотим сделать барабан. Мы собираемся устроить пау вау и хотим, чтобы вы пришли праздновать. У нас будет пир. Будет оленина или еще что-нибудь. Будет мясо, дичь, рыба, что-нибудь, что мы сможем добыть. Мы добудем мясо. Будет пир».

Миннесота, 1910. Праздник чиппева.

… С тех пор индейцы устраивают пау вау. Когда они начали строить деревянные дома, пау вау стали проходить и зимой. Хорошо, когда зимой есть где танцевать. Я думаю, что некоторые из этих старых домов для танцев были сорок пять футов в диаметре, круглые. Мы танцуем вокруг барабана. Внутри дома или снаружи, на площадке пау вау, мы всегда танцуем справа налево, по часовой стрелке. Только так и надо танцевать в кругу. Мы всегда танцуем справа налево. Чтобы все было правильно. Почему мы танцуем по кругу? Мы танцуем по часовой стрелке, чтобы было правильно. Так все устроено. Такова природа. Это все, что я слышал.

Мы строим дома для танцев круглыми, потому что танцуем по кругу. Барабан – круглый, и дом для танцев так же построен. Места для сидения внутри тоже по кругу. И места для барабанщиков тоже по кругу, и скамейки для зрителей и приглашенных… Дома должны быть круглыми. Старые дома для пау вау были не очень высокими, но крыша у них была круглая.

Дом для танцев, Майл Лакс, 1925.

Пау вау в Нетт Лэйк, 1941.

Зачем мы танцуем?

Зачем нам барабан?

Зачем мы поем?

Зачем мы собираемся?

Только ради денег? Только ради дружбы? Или только чтобы встретиться и познакомиться с людьми?

Нет – чтобы отдохнуть и расслабиться. Это уносит печаль, тяжелые переживания от одиночества и несчастий.

Мы потеряли многих из тех, кто однажды был здесь с нами. Они ушли. Мы теряем, каждый год мы теряем кого-то из людей. Из-за этого мы печалимся. И поэтому нам нужно радоваться. Через радость мы будем жить счастливо. И у нас есть для этого специальная песня. Песня прекрасна, и барабан прекрасен. Ты видишь их костюмы, то, как они одеты, и это заставляет тебя радоваться…

На пау вау ты поем песни о жизни духов тех, кто ушел. И когда мы поем эти песни, они придут. Песни приносят их обратно, в круг… Помнить – перечислять в памяти умерших – это доставляет им удовольствие, потому что они видят, что не забыты. Те, кто жили раньше, не забыты и никогда не будут забыты. Духи приходят на пау вау, когда мы поем песни о них. Ты их не видишь, но тебе хорошо оттого, что они здесь. Песня, которую ты поешь им, называется «джибайнагамовин». Это танец призраков, танец духов.

У нас есть и другой танец призраков. Индеец смотрит на северное сияние и видит, как они танцуют. Мы говорим: «Призрак танцует. Танцуют те, кто ушли»⁽³⁾. Индейцы называют северное сияние «пау вау мертвых». «Джибайаг» — это «призраки», призраки тех людей, которые ушли, а «нимиди’иваг» — «они танцуют». Мы говорим это по-индейски. Все еще так! Духи, они просто ушли, и точно так же, как мы, празднуют и веселятся. Мы в это верим. Для нас северное сияние – это танцующие духи…

Танец подарков, «calico dance», это современный танец. Он – для всех.  Танец подарков — это «иквэ минидивин». Это женский танец. «Песня дарения», так мы это называем. «Песня дарения» — это «иквэ миниди нагамовин» по-индейски. «Иквэ минидивин» — это «то, что дала женщина». Это танец, когда женщина дарит подарок. Это современный танец.

Еще мы называем это «скво дэнс». Но когда мы говорим на английском, это слово, «скво», мы используем не часто. …  Молодые не любят, когда их называют «скво». Многие – полукровки. И они больше белые. Когда их называют «скво», они обижаются. И часто они таят то, что они – «скво», индеанки, потому что они больше – белые. «Скво» — не очень хорошее слово, но оно существует… «Женский танец» — так нормально.

Мужчины тоже могут дарить вещи… Приходит вождь, он знает, что есть бедняк, у которого только лук и стрелы. Он кладет ружье прямо перед ним. Это – подарок. Но взамен он получает одеяло, или немного денег. Тогда у них было мало денег. Ты всегда должен что-то дать взамен, даже если ты беден. Это – лучший танец. Если ты так не делаешь, это не хорошо.

В мое время был танец подарков, а сейчас танцы – это только костюмы… Никто твердо не знает, зачем этот танец. Сегодня никто не объяснит танцев белым, людям, молодежи, и они не знают, на что смотрят. А в старые времена вождь выступал с речью и рассказывал, что такое следующий танец. Эти пау вау сегодня – только танцы, танцы, они даже не объявляют, что они танцуют. Я хочу, чтобы и наши люди, и белые понимали песни и могли их петь.

Мы чествовали песнями многих животных, не только четвероногих. Мы пели Громовым Птицам. Мы пели деревьям. Мы пели водам. «Гичинодин нагамовин» — это песня ветра. Мы пели всему. Песни созданы для чего-то конкретного. Они  созданы для воды, для озер, для земли. А еще они созданы для всего живого и для благодарения Бога⁽⁴⁾ – благодарения Создателя всего, что у нас есть. Они созданы, чтобы благодарить Создателя за наше здоровье. Когда ты веришь во что-то, ты здоров. Еще у нас есть песни для храбрецов… Индейцы любят песни, с которыми они могут танцевать. 

Иногда мы берем наши песни от других племен. У них свои песни. Мы ходим к другим племенам, к сиу, например. Ты можешь пойти один. Тамошние барабанщики ждут гостей. Когда тот, кто ходил, возвращается, он рассказывает о своем путешествии другим, сидя с барабаном. Они могут спросить:

— У них есть танец?

— Да.

— Ты выучил новые песни?

— Да, я принес несколько.

— Ну давай попробуем спеть какую-нибудь.

Они говорят: «Он вернулся. Вот что он принес». И они ударяют в барабан, разучивают. Это происходит естественно. Вот так у них появляется танец.

… Еще песня может прийти к тебе во сне. Если так, то она – твоя. Ты можешь подарить эту песню барабану. Можешь отдать другим певцам, если хочешь. Ты можешь объяснить: «Это мой сон. Это моя песня, и я хочу, чтобы вы, люди, которые здесь живут, услышали ее. Это мой сон. Помните это». И ты ударяешь в барабан. «Я хочу отдать это. Эта песня была мне дана, чтобы я отдал ее». Старое правило гласит: «Отдай то, что ты получил. Дай немного другим, и другие дадут тебе». Вот что ты хочешь сделать со своей песней. Вот зачем песня пришла к тебе. Ты говоришь: «Я отдаю вам свою песню. Я даю вам эту песню. Сейчас вы ее услышите»… Бумм!!! Ты бьешь в барабан.

В прошлом у нас был барабан, который принадлежал общине, как оркестр. И было несколько, шесть или семь певцов, которые должны были быть, когда тот барабан доставали. И у нас были женщины, певицы, которые подпевали.

Во время пира было четыре или пять пожилых женщин, которые в кругу пау вау пели последний припев. Они пели припев вместе мужчинами, барабанной группой. Обычно было от четырех до семи женщин, каждая держала особый знак, например обруч с лентами…

«Винимошэн нагамовин» — это любовная песня. Всем нравится слушать, когда индеец играет своей возлюбленной. В одной нашей песне пара влюбленных разговаривает под большим деревом. Отец и мать не слышат, о чем они говорят. Она встретила его у этого дерева, и он оперся на него, разговаривая с ней. Она стоит и делает что-то. А тот мужчина, тот индеец, поет. Он говорит, в песне: «Пожалуйста» — есть слово в значении «пожалуйста», «маано» — «пусть будет так». Он говорит: «Пожалуйста, будь моей девушкой. Приди ко мне. Пошли со мной в мой дом. Я одинок. Я одинок в своем доме. Пойдем ко мне. Пойдем со мной. Я буду страдать от одиночества. Я буду страдать по тебе»…

Она отвечает. Она слышит поэзию и не может не ответить. И она отвечает тем же: «Я бы хотела пойти, но у меня ребенок. Я пойду. Пожалуйста, возьми меня с собой. Я тоже одинока. Я бы пошла. Я пойду».

Когда она заканчивает петь, он отвечает: «Будь готова. Мы пойдем».

Я слышал это в 1906.

Маргарет Генон в праздничной одежде, 1910 г.

Мой народ пел в путешествии. Они пели в лодке, в каноэ, или в повозке. Давно, в мои времена, у нас были лошади. Они пели, когда гребли. Они могли перестать грести и запеть… Когда они гребли вдвоем, муж и жена, или любовники, они пели. Они пели о воде, о земле, о красоте в небе. «Ты прекрасна, сердце мое». Они пели обо всем. И, если они любили друг друга, им были приятны эти песни…

Примечания:

⁽¹⁾ — Габэбинэс, употребляя «наше племя», адаптирует свою речь под «белые» понятия. Оджибве никогда не были племенем. Они всегда были общинами, родами, семьями. Община, как социальная единица, наиболее близка нашему термину «племя». (Кстати, когда Габэбинэс говорит «пау вау», он тоже использует тот термин, который понятен белым. Оджибве использовали термин «niimi’idiwin» — «общий танец» (не когда танцуют все вместе одновременно, а когда собрались потанцевать, кто-то может быть зрителем, а потом присоединиться и т.д.).

⁽²⁾ — Абзац достоин отдельного комментария. Габэбинэс заостряет на нем внимание потому, что издревле социальная гармония была важнейшим компонентом выживания. Соревнование расставляет людей, членов общины, по признаку «лучше-хуже». Неважно, в чем, но «этот лучше, а этот — хуже». Тот, кто «хуже», может позавидовать тому, кто «лучше», а «лучший» может возгордиться. Нарушается социальная гармония.

⁽³⁾ — Налицо несогласованность фразы. «Он танцует — они танцуют». Но оджибве не говорят «индейцы там охотятся». Они говорят «индеец там охотится», обобщают в единственном числе. А дальше-то нужно было пояснить, что это те, кто ушел там танцуют. Потому что у оджибве те, кто ушел, живут все вместе. Вот и вылезло множественное число.

⁽⁴⁾ — «Бог» употреблено для того, чтобы белому Руффсу было понятно, что речь идет о высшей силе. «Бог» понятнее белым, чем «Гичи Манидо». Габэбинэс был традиционалистом во всем.