I went to my first Pow Wow last weekend. The drums called me in after years of listening to them from a distance. I really enjoyed it. There was some great dancing and native costumes. A lot of it is dance competition which I didn't really expect. There were groups of drummers around an open pavillion that took turns drumming and singing. Drumming seems to be a male dominated thing. There were lots of Montana area tribes represented. Blackfoot, Kootenai and Salish, Flathead, Cree, Lakota and others. Everyone got involved young and old. Lots of beautiful people. The smell of pine pitch burning in fires filled the air. It was really cool.
For some reason I always felt I should keep my distance. If I were a tribal member I'm not sure I'd want a bunch of people like me showing up, but everyone was cool. I'd recommend going to a Pow Wow if you've never been to one. It's a good way to get outside of the bubble.
2 comments:
I went to one a loooong time ago when I was visiting my gransparents in a town mostly populated by Natives. I remember the drums and dancing, but not much else. I remember having fun, even as a child though.
You know what amazes me? The fear people have at becoming involved with people unlike themselves. More often than not, it's a form of flattery that we would want to embrace other cultures besides our own. Those that I have embraced have always welcomed me with open arms, taught me and embraced me back!
I would have been a little shocked if they'd come up and embraced me, but good point.
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