Grand Entry

I went with my co-worker, Liz, to a Pow Wow Grand Entry ceremony this past Friday night.  It was quite the experience.  All of the dancers were in really elaborate costumes.  Some had lots of feathers, others had bells and beads.  A handful had made their garb out of really bright colors -- like blaze orange and Toy Story  alien green.  They looked a little less authentic than the more muted palates, in my opinion.

The costumes were the most interesting to watch.  The people themselves did some really intricate dances, but all the feathers and appendages seemed to have a life of their own and moved almost independently of the dancers.

There was one little dude in a Superman tank top who was about 2 years old and trying his darndest to dance like the big kids. he had the feet moves going for a while before he'd just trip over himself.  BUt bless his heart, even when he fell down he would stick his hands up in the air like a gymnast :)

Another really interesting part was the opening prayer.  A group of women signed and danced as the prayer was read.  What was interesting to me was that the opening prayer was a modified version of the Our Father with some symbolism of God as an eagle in there too.  This spoke to the amount of forced assimilation that native peoples in America have undergone which includes the adoption of Christianity that has now been fully integrated into their culture.  At the tribal consultation meetings I attended, the opening prayers were traditional native prayers to the Great Spirit, not God the Father.

The singers and drummers were also incredible to watch and listen to as the sun went down and the people danced.

This experience made me grateful that my education has included a small amount of Native American history.  Those east-coasters with their ethno-centric educations are missing out.