Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Pow Wows of America

By Eagle Vale

Pow Wows are the Native American people's way of meeting each other. The beginning of the Pow Wow is the 'Grand Entry' which is held sacred.

Pow wows are conducive to native american cultural awareness and social interaction amongst aboriginal people from all over North America. Indigenous tribal members can be found at Pow Wows meeting and interacting with each other. Native American Pow Wows are an important part of cultural expression identity which celebrates our Native American heritage.

People know Pow wows for their variety of colors and traditional dance styles. Pow Wows, have evolved from a formal ceremony of the past into a modern blend of dance, family reunion, and festival. Over time Pow Wow traditions have adapted and changed into a bright, fast, and exciting event geared towards Native Americans and visitors alike.

Presently, Pow Wows are hosted all across North America in villages and small towns such as White Eagle, Oklahoma as well as some of the largest, such as LA, California. During the 1920's, a few Pow Wows went "inter-tribal," meaning that they were open for all tribes to attend, and the practice of "contesting" began. Thus, pow wows quickly spread across the plains and to this day serve as one of the main cultural activities of Native Americans.

With the growing popularity of Pow Wows, many communities are getting involved by hosting major events which last as long as a week. Native newspapers and magazines usually publish Pow Wow schedules. The Traditional Dance, considered the warrior's dance style is one of the most common styles seen at pow wows.

If there is mutual cooperation on all sides, Pow Wows in cities can be excellent events. The Web and Native newsgroups are good sources of information on Pow Wows, and if you don't see anything near you, post the question. It is also getting more and more popular to have Pow Wows on churchgrounds, at college campuses, and various other locations in cities.

Some large Pow Wows require that you register your camera, and will put a number on it. Most Pow Wows are held in the country away from the conveniences we all take for granted. Some Pow Wows have camp grounds, space for RV and trailer hook-ups,and cooking pits.

"Pow Wows are the Native American people's way of meeting. Most dancers seen at Pow Wows today perform social dances which might have had different meanings in earlier days. Many pow wows are large annual events and others are organized on short notice.

Pow Wows commenced after the Native American Wars resulting in secluding the many tribal entities on reservation lands. Pow Wows are all about drums, songs and dance. Pow Wows can be found in almost every state in this country.

The pow wow is a spiritual celebration to join together in dancing, singing, visiting old friends, and making new friends. A pow wow is a Native American festival featuring traditional dancing, drumming and singing and traditional foods and arts and crafts. Many pow wows are large annual events and others are organized on short notice.

Pow Wows are full of Native American dancing, singing, educational displays, and authentic food. The pow wow is the Native American's way of expressing their cultural heritage. Most dancers seen at Pow Wows today perform social dances which might have had different meanings in earlier days. - 15437

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