A Pan-Indian Celebration
By: Tina Lo


An American Indian inter-tribal gathering, focused on dancing, singing, and family celebration

Native American people's way of meeting together, visiting, renewing old friendships and make new ones.
 A time to renew thought of the old ways and to preserve a rich heritage.

 Powwows today were largely influenced by Indians of the Great Plains in the 1800s
 In the old days, Indians would gather at various times of the year to hunt, plant, gather, and celebrate
 Gather together to renew family, clan, and tribal ties
 Form social and political alliances
 Celebrate victories
 Practice religious and spiritual ceremonies
 Courtship and agreement on marriages


“The contemporary powwow provides an opportunity for people to celebrate their identification with Indian culture and have become pan-Indian and inter-tribal expressions of pride.”

“Society has inaccurate images of American Indians, thus Powwows help guide non-Indian people toward understanding and appreciation of varied aspects of
Native American culture.”

 Held by one band or tribe to welcome and honor other bands or tribes
 Organized by Powwow committee, dedicated members of host tribe
 Usually three day weekend events
 All peoples are invited, Indian and non-Indian
 Event is run by the Master of Ceremonies and Arena directors

 Master of Ceremonies provides the announcements and background information on the dances, rituals, and spirit of the Powwow
 Arena directors manages the flow of activity in the arena and organizes the dancers and drummers.
 Judges are responsible for judging regalia, dancing, and drumming

 Several different types
 2 most common types are:
 Traditional Powwows
 Competition Powwows

 Everyone who participates in dancing or singing is awarded day money
 Informal but has some degree of competition
 Also contains ceremonies such as honorings, giveaways, “first” dances, and adoptions

 Has significant prize money for dancers
 Everyone can participate in competition but only the dancers that place at the top of the competition wins the prize money
 Drum groups can also compete for prize money

 Powwow begins with the Grand Entry
 Spectators are asked to rise as the flags and eagle staffs of host and guest tribes are brought in the arena
 Eagle staffs and flags represent nations, families, and communities
 Drums begin the Grand Entry song with chief/tribal leader of host tribe and visiting leaders entering the arena, leading a procession

 The Procession consists of :
 Honored members and color guard of veterans
 Elected royalty, chosen to represent their community
 Male dancers
 Female dancers
 Teenage boys
 Teenage girls
 Young kids

 Procession goes into circles until all the dancers are inside the arena
 Drumming ends when arena is filled with all the dancers dancing in their grand regalia
 Ends with dancers in the center of circle, followed by prayer song and a honoring song for veterans
 Judging of regalia, dancers, drummers begin after

 Community, Family, and Spirituality
 Veterans
 The Drum
 Songs
 Dances
 Regalia

 Bring your own seating or you can stand
 Do not sit on benches around arena-reserved for dancers
 Ask permission before taking pictures of dancers
 Donate money to the drum during Blanket Dance

 Always stand during special songs
 Always listen to the MC (Master of
Ceremonies)-they give you all the information!
 Remember that you are a guest and that you are welcomed

 Be respectful and friendly
 Go with an open mind
 Do not be afraid to ask questions (The Arena Director or MC are great people to ask!)
 Sobriety is important!
 Most importantly is to have fun and interact!


“We don’t want your rations, we want this dance” By: Clyde Ellis
-shows evolution of this important cultural form
-importance of song and dance in Indian cultural identity
-discusses Indian ethnocide

 http://www.csulb.edu/~aisstudy/powwow/
 http://www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/powwows.htm
 http://www.tpt.org/powwow/index.html
 http://www.powwows.com/
 http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/aisa/Welcome.htm