| "The spirit of the pow-wow is a continuum in
Indian life. It isn't just for a few days in March. We
live this spirit on a daily basis. It is why we have
survived for so long. At one time we were a forgotten
people, but I think we are getting stronger. From the
powwow we gain strength as Indian people, individually
and collectively, to go on into the 21st century." |
| - Linday Yardley, Taos Pueblo Indian |
"Pow-wow" is the Algonquin Indian word for
"ceremony", but the word holds a different meaning
according to each native American Indian tribe. Most were
religious or war pow-wows, with ceremonial dancing and sacred rituals.
Until this century, non-lndians usually did not participate in
the pow-wows.
In 1951, in Sheridan, Wyoming, Lucy Yellowmule was elected
Queen of the Sheridan Rodeo. This was an annual exhibition where
cowboys showed their skills of calf-roping and horseback riding.
Lucy was the first Native American to be queen, and this marked
the beginning of a new and better relationship between Native
Americans and the rest of society. Lucy Yellowmule and a group of
Native Americans traveled around the United States, speaking to
large groups about her success at the Rodeo and her Crow
traditions. Two years after her victory, All-American Indian Days
was established. It became a three-day annual event with
competitions in tepee-building and bread frying and a Miss
Indian America contest. Now in Sheridan, the United Tribes
International Pow-wow takes place in late August, the final
pow-wow of hundreds throughout the spring and summer. The annual
Denver Pow-wow in March begins the season of pow-wows. In 1990,
it attracted thirty-thousand people, half of whom were not Native
Americans. In the huge Denver Coliseum different tribes sing
songs that have been passed down for thousands of years. They are
accompanied by the beat of a large drum, played by five to ten
drummers. Dancers of different tribes show their skills. There
are dancers with strips of tin sewn onto their costumes or bells
on their wrists and ankles. Dancers with fancy shawls look like
delicate flying birds as they raise their cloth-covered arms to
the beat of the drums. Grass dancers wear costumes of
brightly-colored yarn, representing meadow grass.
Pow-wows mean different things to different people. They are
still religious or war celebrations, but themes and
goals have changed with the times. Now instead of giving thanks
to their gods for a war victory, Indians honor those of their
tribes who have served in the American armed forces. Young people
return from the bigger cities to learn traditional dances and
songs in order to keep their heritage alive. People who are not
Native Americans are not only welcomed, they are encouraged to
participate in the activities.
