Ceremony

Last weekend I went to a Pow Wow, which is a Native American Celebration of unity, friendship, and family. It's was a beautiful and magical experience, with delicious food, music, and dancing. I loved the atmosphere; it was warm and welcoming. Everyone was asked to join in the celebration. The whole audience seemed to become a part of this large family. The drums had sent an electric shock through me, which is why during the "Blanket Dance", I decided to dance to the song of Little Thunder one of the drum groups. It felt freeing dancing along side the surreal dancers. I was scary at first, yet exhilarating to step out of my comfort zone.I have some Indian blood in me (Métis)so I felt deeply moved by this ceremony that's apart of my own heritage.

The dances are breathtaking and have been performed for centuries by tribes such as the Navajo, Fox, Sioux, Cree, and so many others. The drum groups are powerful, with each beat they are communicating with their ancestors.The singers voices will pierce through your own soul. The dancers themselves represent their own nations, wearing awesome colorful regalia that expresses their own personalities.

The first image below is the women's Fancy Shawl Dance. In the past women had used robes made of animal fur or blankets. It was a new style of dance, first started by Native American women in the 1900's, who made their own shawls and wanted to show them off to the world. The shawls are covered with bright flowers and sometimes even beads. As they dance the shawls look like wings; the women's moccasin covered feet seem to not touch the ground. The moves and steps are graceful; the women twirl and prance on their toes reminding me of ballerinas. Fancy Shawl dances are taught at a young age, and I bet they really feel like their paying homage to their grandmothers.

The men's Fancy Dance is spectacular; it's a true test of strength and endurance. The men's headdresses are covered in eagle feathers, and float as they dance. At the pow wow I had attended the men were powerful and some were in the "zone". One guy, maybe about eighteen years old was dressed all in red, his foot work could have burned a hole in the floor. He cried out as he stomped his feet; while twirling he looked like one huge flame. In a fancy dance, the drum groups might play tricks on the dancers, like stopping in mid-beat to see if they can keep up with the song's rhythm.

I wish everyone in America could attend at least one Pow Wow, to see and understand that Native Americans don’t just exist in history books, but are still among us, keeping their traditions intact for future generations.