Powwow wars

Page 6

Guest Column

As powwows get bigger and the prize money keeps getting higher, they can no longer be considered a time to get together with old friends and a place to meet new friends. Powwows have become a battleground and its dancers the warriors. Now we know that in most conflicts there are two opposing sides. At the powwow, every registered person becomes his own private army.

First place in the contest is the ultimate goal. Second, third and fourth place is OK, but it doesn't seem to mean as much as winning the championship. I've seen women cursing and crying because they won third instead of first. I've heard men grumbling about "fixed powwow" as they walk away with hundreds of dollars. And this attitude is catching on with the younger dancers now. At a recent powwow, a young girl who usually places first, refused to go up and collect her fourth-place prize money. She was angry because "those little sluts," as she put it, had beaten her, for once.

What happened to the powwow spirit? There was a time, not too long ago, that people went to a powwow to have fun, enjoy the dancing and, if they were lucky, to take home few dollars.

What are we teaching our children? If the attitude in today's powwow is to "go for the gold" and damn the rest, we definitely are not giving our children two basic teachings of First Nations culture: humility and courage.

In the Ojibway tradition, "humility is to know yourself as a sacred part of creation" and "courage is to face life with integrity." In other tribal teachings, the descriptions are similar, but being Ojibwa, these are my own beliefs.

In their quest for first, many dancers have forgotten to be humble. What dancer had gone to his favorite drum groups to say thank you and to share a few dollars? Will those winners offer tobacco to the Creator and say thank you for the wonderful gift of movement? How many dancers will offer food to the spirits in thanks for their guidance? We are all sacred individuals. We are all created with love. Giving thanks to those that have helped is not a lot to do. In doing so, we recognize that we are a part of creation, and not just a self-indulgent brat.

It doesn't take a lot of courage to sneer at other dancers. However, it does take a good amount of courage to be truly proud of another's accomplishment. The next time you are at a powwow, watch the winner's circle. You can see which dancers are the brave and courageous ones. They are the ones who will be smiling and shaking hands firmly. You can also spot the dancers who aren't happy with their standing. Limp handshakes, averted eyes, pursed lips and few words will give them away in a moment. Is this an act of courage? No. It is a supreme act of selfishness. There is no honor in this. These are the warriors who have forgotten why we dance together in the circle: to bring unity and life to the people.

So, as the battles rage on and contestants circle the arena with thoughts of first place dancing in their head, the powwow spirit dies a little more. One day, we are going to find that the spirit is gone and only the war remains.