Powwow

Grand Entry of the 1983 Omaha Powwow

A Powwow (also Pow-Wow or Pow Wow) is in the broadest sense a meeting of North American Indians or any comparable event. In the strictest sense, it is a form of cultural event based on the customs of warrior associations of the central Great Plains from the 19th century. The cultural identity is strengthened and traditional values are conveyed through various aspects of customs.

etymology

The term "Powwow" comes from the Narragansett language , means as much as he dreams and describes the medicine man . His actions in front of spectators made the ceremonies a spectacle. The whites present misleadingly related the word powwow to what was happening. It is translated as a council in some Algonquian languages . In the 18th century at the latest, the term was adopted by English- and German-speaking colonists as a name for various traditional Indian forms of events and thus spread throughout North America . With the change from the name for a person to the name for a form of event, the word Powwow has become an artificial word without a clear definition. For the North American peoples, who have their own words in their languages for these events, the word Powwow is Anglicism and a foreign word. If the old Narragansett word is taken as the origin, the only correct spelling is “Powwow” in one word (not Pow-Wow, Pow Wow, pow-wow or pow wow).

history

young powwow dancer

Pow Wow at the Ho Chunk Nation, Wisconsin

Special costumes at the Pow Wow at the Ho Chunk Nation, Wisconsin

The forerunners of the Powwows were mainly composed of two cores. These are likely to have a historical and content-related connection, but are independent of each other in terms of location and time.

Pre-reservation time

One of the origins of the Powwows are the Iruska dances of the Pawnee on the middle Great Plains . These dances have been passed on to neighboring peoples since the 1820s. Events of warrior societies developed on the Great Plains. The purpose of these events was to strengthen the community in psychological and social terms. This happened through the development of its own identity for society in all areas of traditional life and the conscious use of it. Inwardly, it developed its own principles that were demonstrated in public on certain occasions. Therefore, these events had military, religious, social, economic, legal, didactic, culinary, artistic, entertaining and other traditional aspects that were precisely tailored to the warrior society in question. They were typical folk festivals . Various warrior societies of other peoples adopted these customs in the course of time and linked them with their own customs. In this way, the powwow forerunners spread in the 19th century among the peoples of the central, northern and southern Great Plains and their peripheral areas to the ( Lakota , Cheyenne , Absarokee (Crow) and Blackfoot ).

Reservation time

When these peoples were forced to live on reservations , the warring societies lost their importance. The old elements of the festival were retained and further developed. They have been simplified in some parts and more complex in others. The second core from which the powwows developed is the religion of the big drum . This spread from the western Great Lakes region since the 1880s . Since the time of the reservation it has been irrelevant whether the powwow people are members of a warrior society, what people they come from or what part of the world they come from. The successors of the members of the warrior societies have passed since the First World War , the war veterans . Therefore, many old warrior traditions revived in the 1920s, and the Powwows experienced an upswing. The aspects of sport and play were added. Powwows are part of their own culture among the peoples who practiced the powwow forerunners in the pre-reservation period. People from other cultural regions can adopt the Powwow traditions in addition to their own culture. Some North American peoples who have lost their culture often use powwow as a substitute. Other natives of North America with a living culture of their own reject powwows as a form of cultural expression for themselves. In the 20th century, the powwow traditions spread across North America and found their followers in Europe. These festivals have been taking place for several decades in England, Germany, Denmark, Poland and the Czech Republic. European powwows are also attended by natives living here, but the vast majority of participants are Europeans. In Germany there are regular Powwows of the American Indian soldiers stationed here. The participation of non-Indian living history actors who re - enact the life of the former Indians in their free time (called "hobbyists") is not welcome at these powwows.

Purpose and meaning

Powwows are the clearest expression of North American Indian cultures in public. The participants proudly present their tribal affiliation and renew their self-image as "Native Americans" at each of these events. So, from a sociological point of view, Powwows are far more than just Indian folk festivals. The purpose of a Powwow is to strengthen the community spirit and to actively live the belonging to an Indian culture. This is done by strengthening the body, soul and spirit. For a good life, it is important for the powwow people to consciously maintain traditions. On the Powwows this is done, for example, through costumes , badges, regalia , symbols , dances, rituals , legal acts, ceremonies , honors, dishes, language , songs , prayers, stories, anecdotes , jokes , art , games and sports. Powwows are primarily a condensed representation of the traditional way of life of the indigenous people of the North American plains and prairies. The common participation of members of very different tribal cultures leads to a mixture of the different cultural elements despite the care of the respective peculiarities and thus promotes the development of a common Indian culture with a focus on the plains cultures. The fact that there are often multicultural lovers at Powwows confirms this trend. Another reason for powwows was to find a compromise for a problem, including an offer of peace between different parties. The people who make powwows a large part of the lifestyle are called powwow people .

organization structure

The organizational structure on a Powwow is very hierarchical. This is due to the military origin of the event.

organizer

A Powwow is hosted by the organizing body and its members . Different types of corporations can act as organizers : tribes , village communities , societies, associations , casinos , educational institutions , families . At family powwows everything can be organized informally. The organizer, through its representatives, mainly takes care of the legal affairs, the budget and the committee (the committee).

Committee

A committee is appointed from the members of the organizing body to organize the powwow. This consists of the board of directors and other members. The board consists of the chairman, cashier and secretary , other positions are possible. The chairman calls and chairs the meetings of the committee. The cashier manages the finances during the preparations and on the powwow. The secretary takes minutes at the meetings and takes care of the correspondence. For a large committee, each board position can have one representative. The course of the meetings is based on tradition. It is a great honor to be appointed to the committee . The committee takes care of the marketing , the venue, the schedule, the finances, the advertising , the staff , the organization of the helpers , the regulation of the traditional process and the invited guests . The committee is formed one year before the event and begins its work. During this time, he can use other events to draw attention to his powwow. This can be done through information booths, distribution of promotional materials and sales of promotional items, also with the support of royals . The committee members work on a voluntary basis. Consideration for the work is recognition and honor by the members of the organizing body. The honoring event for the committee is an integral part of the powwow. The location and meeting point for the committee at the Powwow is the announcement booth.

Main employee

The committee obliges the main employees to carry out the events within the dance arena on its behalf. The following are selected from the experienced dancers and singers: speaker, arena director, host drum group, main dancer. These positions are traditionally occupied by men, as they can be traced back to offices within the old warrior societies. Head judge, main dancer and Royal have been added later. Main employees are selected based on their previous knowledge. They represent the organizer to the outside world and guide all those present through the events within the dance arena. Specific information related to the Powwow and instructions they receive from the committee . The place of residence or meeting point for the main employees is the announcement booth.

Royal

Corporations that maintain or feel associated with Native American customs can be represented in public by selected young people. In connection with their own powwow, this is often done by royalty . These are female and male representatives from different age groups with different titles, which are summarized under this term.

Spoonkeeper

In the pre-reservation period , food on the campaigns required a certain amount of organization by the warriors themselves. This gave rise to the position of the spoon keeper. This is awarded at Powwows in the cultural area of the southern Great Plains. Its job is to organize the powwow kitchen. He manages the budget, creates the menu, arranges the purchases, looks after the kitchen helpers, makes the schedule and organizes the food expenses.

helper

Depending on the needs, helpers are used for many other tasks. These can be volunteers or booked staff (for the kitchen, assembly and dismantling, medical service , security service , waste disposal, cleaning staff ).

Guests

Everyone else is welcome as a guest and can take part in the celebrations.

The personal care, hospitality and accommodation of the guest drum groups is traditionally the task of the host drum group.

Invited guests

The committee may invite honorable individuals to Powwow with a request for consideration. This can be a speech at the opening , a prayer or a special song such as a hymn. Invited guests enjoy personal attention, hospitality and accommodation from the committee free of charge.

Politicians can be invited to cultivate and deepen a relationship with them and their work.

Clergymen from different religious communities can be invited to promote the coexistence of different views.

The veterans are the successors of the warriors from the pre-reservation period. These are grouped together in veteran organizations. Powwows give them the opportunity to present themselves to the public with standards and flags, uniforms and firearms. Veterans organizations can be invited to serve as standard bearers and form of honor at the opening.

With the advent of casino povwows, selected drum groups are also invited. As a result, the organizer achieves an above-average quality in the presented Powwow music . The timely announcement of the invited drum groups will have a great advertising effect for the event. These drum groups receive at least the cost of travel, accommodation and food from the organizer.

financing

The decision to hold a Powwow will be made about a year before the date of the event. At this point, the organizer has a budget and a financing plan . The year of preparation can be used to acquire further financial resources. This happens z. B. by selling homemade pastries or junk, by soliciting public funds, by looking for sponsors or by allocating advertising space. In annual powwows, the financial basis includes the surplus generated from the last powwow through entrance fees, entry fees for competition participants, stall fees from dealers, sales of promotional items , own sales of food and beverages, monetary and material donations, competitions . The finances are managed by the committee's cashier . On traditional Powwows, the money is used consistently in the sense of the traditions. If in some places the financial gain for the organizer is in the foreground, which neglects traditions, it is a commercial powwow.

Components

Powwow demonstration in the Münster Natural History Museum

A powwow can last from a few hours to several days. A powwow day begins at the earliest with the official wake-up call from a town crier at sunrise and ends at the latest with private parties the next morning. A large number of individual events can take place in between. There are official events initiated by the organizer and privately organized events. Each official event follows a certain procedure and etiquette , which can vary from powwow to powwow. A distinction is made between events within the dance arena , events outside the dance arena and events that take place inside and outside the dance arena .

Events within the dance arena

The central location for traditional dance, music and other events is the dance arena. This can be in the open air or under shady roofs such as an arbor. For indoor events, the dance floor is in multiple tepees, a dance hut, a tent or other permanent buildings such as event centers, sports halls or other suitable rooms.

Gurdentanz

The name of this dance comes from the Gurden , they are bottle gourds . The rattles used in this dance are made from their dried and hollowed out fruit bodies . More modern forms of rattles are made from tin cans. The Gurdentanz comes from the Kiowas . On Powwows, this dance event takes place before the opening and consists of dancing, singing and honors.

opening

The opening can include the following points: drum roll call , warm-up songs of the drum groups, speech, entry of the host drum group, standard and flag bearers together with form of honor , dignitaries including royalty and dancers, greeting and presentation of the dance categories, opening prayer , national anthem , flag honoring , Veteran song or victory song, if necessary with victory dance, presentation of standard and flag bearers, presentation of dignitaries, veteran dance, opening dances, program overview,

Cross-tribal (intertribal) dance event

The original purpose of these individual events was the common individual dance of the powwow dancers from different tribal cultures on the dance floor to the same powwow song. Old, typical cross-tribal powwow songs have no or a simple text so that singers from different cultures can easily sing together. All Powwow dancers can take part in the dances in a wide variety of dance styles at the same time, regardless of their race, culture, gender, age, dance category and costume . This event offers the Powwow dancers the opportunity to meet while dancing on the dance floor, to exchange ideas and to have a communal experience. Newer cross-tribal powwow songs can have elaborate lyrics.

Demonstrations

Each program point in the dance arena can serve several purposes and is always a performance at the same time. There are also program items that are mainly used as a demonstration for demonstration purposes and for entertainment. This can include all kinds of traditional music and dance performances. If powder wow dancers are present, they have the opportunity to demonstrate their dance style. There is a clear separation between artists and audience during the demonstrations. The audience can show support and recognition to the artists through gifts of money.

Examples:

Hoop dance (dance to powwow music with 1 to 40 hoops per actor)
Show dances , folk dances and musical performances from the Powwow area, from other cultural regions of North America and around the world

Competitions

Competitions can be organized in various traditional disciplines. They serve different purposes. This includes entertaining an audience, passing on what has been handed down and conveying values. They can be advertised by the organizer or be part of special events . There are material and cash prizes to be won. This motivates the participants to perform well and outperform one another. The disciplines can be pow wow dance , pow wow music and others. For competitions of the organizer, registration of the participants may be required and an entry fee may be charged. There may be additional competitions for children such as sack race and egg skating. The competition rules are drawn up by the respective organizer and announced before the competition.

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes can be organized to finance the Powwow . They are carried out from the announcement booth. The donated prize is presented and the rules of the game are explained. The winning ticket will be drawn publicly from the tickets sold under the supervision of the committee . The winner is called and can pick up the prize. A tombola is about at least one high-quality, donated prize that is issued during the game. The 50-50 pot is about money. Half of the income goes to the winner, the other half goes to the Powwow.

Ballroom dancing

The ballroom dancing and accompanying music originated from the military justified Powwow. From this, separate forms of events have developed outside of Powwows. The stock of ballroom dances can consist of couple dances and round dances ( circle dances and chain dances) in different forms and variants. Some of them can also take place on powwows in the dance arena.

Special events

In addition to the individual events that come from the Powwow organizer, private individuals can also bring in special events. These take place on the occasion of an honor and can consist of the following program items: speech, introduction of the honored person, ceremony, honor dance , traditional competition with award ceremony, gift event with dance for gift event, celebratory dinner.

Honorary event for the committee

The honorary event for the committee can be a separate event or can be assigned to the conclusion of the powwow. This can consist of the following points: address, introduction of the members of the outgoing committee, honor dance, gift event, introduction of the members of the new committee, symbolic handover of business from the outgoing to the new committee.

graduation

At the end the following program items can include: address, closing prayer, flag song, veteran's song or victory song, bringing out the flags, moving out of the dancers.

Events outside the dance arena (examples)

Outside the dance arena, there can be other venues on a Powwow: dance floors, sports fields, stadiums, stages, marketplaces, exhibition rooms, lecture halls.

Sports (like horse racing , rodeo , softball , basketball , archery , Running , Triathlon , ballroom dancing )

Game (e.g. handheld games, guessing games, games of skill, games of chance , children's games)

Banquet. The organizer gives out up to three meals a day free of charge. The food is distributed in the form of rations from which the campers can prepare their own meals or as a ready-made meal that is distributed at a central point. It's somewhere on the powwow area, in a few cases in the dance arena. All those present are invited as long as stocks last. The order of the recipients results from the tradition or is announced by the speaker in the arena. Worn components of the costume or the competition numbers are used as identification marks for the dancers. The singers identify themselves by the drum beater, veterans by worn badges. The elderly and physically handicapped people can be recognized by their appearance. Families with children are also easy to spot. By serving food, the organizer lives the virtues of hospitality and generosity. In doing so, he is fulfilling his task of looking after the needy and guests who have traveled. There is a charge to eat at commercial powwows. Ceremonies can also take place as part of special events .

Pageants

Exhibitions ( art , design , handicrafts )

Art competition

Storytelling events

Markets (e.g. art market, craft market , fair )

Craft demonstrations

Symposia, meetings

49er

Events inside and outside the dance arena (examples)

Flag-raising (the flagpoles are on the outside of the rotunda, the song is sung inside the arena, the thank-you dinner takes place with the families involved)
Parade dance (on the fairground with conclusion in the dance arena)
Princess competitions (dance competition, performance, coronation, honor and farewell inside the dance arena; other parts of the competition such as interviews and presentations outside)
Races (outside the dance arena with the finish line in the arena)
Memorial marches and hikes (outside the dance arena with the goal in the arena)

Powwow music and dance

etiquette

The etiquette , etiquette called, is the behavior of rules that describes the expectations of the social behavior of people on the powwow. It is based on the contemporary traditional values of the host.

The entry ceremony, with which every authentic Powwow begins, is considered sacred by many Indians, so that it is often not allowed to film it.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Chris Roberts: Powwow Country. American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 42

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Article The Drums of Powwows . In Coyote No. 84 / Winter 2009. AGIM magazine

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life. Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 11

↑ Letters to the Editor TA'C TITO'OQAN NEWS July 2003 p. 15.

↑ James R. Murie: Pawnee Indian Societies . In: Anthropological Papers, American Museum of Natural History, Vol. 11, No. 7, New York, NY. 1914, p. 608

^ Carl Waldman: Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, p. 158

↑ Information and dates about Powwows in Germany

^ Statement by the Native American Association of Germany eV

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life. Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 10

↑ ^a ^b ^c Chris Roberts: Powwow Country. American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 38

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life. Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 94

↑ Ingo Schönhold: Princesses . In: V. Westerwald Contest Powwow 2004, Asbach, September 4th / 5th, 2004. p. 13.

↑ Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 83 f

↑ Program: Tulsa Indian Club Powwow 1993, Tulsa, OK; P. 32

↑ ^a ^b Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 52 ff

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 52

↑ Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 52

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 97

↑ Program: Oglala Lakota Nation Pow-wow 1994, Oglala, SD

↑ ^a ^b Program: Odawa Homecoming Pow Wow 1993, Harbor Springs, MI; P. 8

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 68 ff

↑ ^a ^b Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 125

↑ ^a ^b Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 48

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 63 ff

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d program booklet: Denver March Powwow 1991, Denver, CO

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e program booklet: Black Hills Powwow 2013, Rapid City, SD; P. 12 f

↑ Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 45

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 62.

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 56 ff

^ ^A ^b Program: Black Hills Powwow 2013, Rapid City, SD; P. 15

↑ Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 45 ff

↑ Volker Krasemann, Arnold Calf Boss Ribs, Nancy Tucker: Powwow, the magic drums of life . Nymphenburger, Munich 1996, p. 60 f

↑ Chris Roberts: Powwow Country . American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 61 f

↑ Program: Black Hills Powwow 2013, Rapid City, SD; P. 13

Web links

Commons : Pow Wows - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

[Roberts-42-1] Chris Roberts: Powwow Country. American & World Geographic Publishing; Helena, MT 1992, p. 42