Diversity Affairs Feature

All Nations Dance Together -
Gathering of Nations Powwow

THE TWENTY FIFTH ANNUAL GATHERING OF NATIONS POWWOW DRAWS THE WORLD TO ITS GROUNDS

The dancers entered the arena in a procession of color, drum, and song. They wore eagle feathers, buckskin, fringe, jingles, beadwork, ribbonwork, blankets, turquoise, shells, bells, and quills--all worn with respect to the birds, animals, fish, earth, water, and sky. The "best" has arrived to perform and compete at the eighteenth annual Gathering of Nations Powwow.

THE GATHERING OCCURS EVERY APRIL FOR three days in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the University of New Mexico's "Pit" sports arena. In 1983, former Dean of Students Derek Mathews, of Cherokee/Chickasaw heritage, and Native American university students organized the first powwow. Mathews continues to organize the event, which has grown from 250 dancers to nearly 2,500. "It was never meant to take off like this," he said. But take off it did, gathering dancers from 500 nations, 50 drum groups, 200 vendors, and 80,000 visitors from around the world. The Gathering is a family event and an educational experience for everyone.

THE MORE THAN 500 RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN THE UNITED STATES have unique oral traditions and ancient histories of beliefs and ceremonies. Many nations share in the tradition of the powwow, the warrior, and in thanksgiving. International powwows, all practicing indigenous nations, gather to share their ways of tradition in the sacred circle. How and when the powwow began is complex, embedded in ancient cultural heritage and symbolism. The ceremony to honor and give thanks began long before Lewis and Clark met with the Omaha in 1804. Based on the records of explorers, the Omaha Nation of Nebraska has been counting annual powwows for about 200 years. Much has been lost to the pen, but the ways of the ancestors live on in practice and storytelling.

Today, many nations practice the Grass Dance, or Omaha Dance, a popular contemporary dance with a history as old as grass on the plains. The Omaha celebrate in the tribal circle, which has been blessed and has a traditional opening to the east where the dancers enter and a place of honor to the west. A flagpole and drum sit at the heart, or center, and the elders say the drum is the heartbeat of the people. The dancers "follow the sun" (clockwise) around this center. The drum is heard in the hearts of families far away, and the campgrounds grow with visiting relatives who come home to cherish, share, and give thanks.

Floyd Moses, an elder Pawnee dancer, rests in the bleachers wearing the full regalia of a "Straight Dancer" including the "roach" headdress made from deer and porcupine hair worn by male dancers. The Straight Dance is a dignified dance rooted in centuries of warrior tradition. A Straight Dancer knows why he dances and understands the tradition in his heart. He honors the ways of the ancestors and pays tribute to the protectors and peacemakers of the people. He moves at a pace and demeanor that marks maturity, respect, and wisdom. Moses has been dancing for seventy-five years. His hair is long and braided, and he speaks with a charming hint of Oklahoma in his blood. "I've been dancing since I was about 3, 4 years [old]. My grandmother used to sing for me. We didn't have no drum. She just clapped her hands.... I love to dance; the drum, there's something to it."

At powwow competitions, the emcee calls for the "drum" to accompany the contest. "Drum" means the instrument and the drummers/singers who surround and play it. Without the drum, there would be no powwow. Drummers devote their lives to the art, learning it by oral tradition from an elder male relative. Ceremony, hard work, and many miles on the powwow highway are part of the process. Drums are distinguished by sound; the high tone is called Northern style, and the lower tone Southern. There also are hand-held drums.

The drums and women back-up singers compete along with the dancers. Competition categories correspond to the dance style and regalia worn by the dancer. These include Grass, Fancy, and Traditional dances for men and boys, and Shawl, Cloth, Buckskin, and Jingle dances for women and girls. Competition dancers must know the songs and drum breaks, or stops, because a sole step beyond the last drumbeat can lose the contest. As the emcee announced: "The competition is in a good way between singer and dancer."

The young boys' Traditional contest makes anybody believe in living history. The boys dress in headdresses, feathers, and skins from nature that they wore with respect. The footwork, bending in the knees, and movement of the head imitated the hunter stalking prey. The language of their movement clearly pre-dated this century.

An emcee educates, entertains, and assures that the intricacies of powwow protocol are followed. The Gourd Dance is an expression of a membership society that includes veterans and individuals who have performed exceptional deeds. It is a healing and social dance, often practiced for the safe return of soldiers going overseas. The male dancers are draped in symbolic navy-blue and red blankets and danced fervently to the dram with their gourds in hand. Women in shawls completed the circle.

The Miss Indian World Traditional Talent Competition spotlights traditional regalia, competing for the title based on knowledge and presentation of a traditional skill, song, dance, or story representative of their tribe. Demonstrations include how to tie a Navajo hair bun, wrap .a baby in a cradle board, make moose-skin moccasins and deer-toe legging ties, and weave a basket.

Ceremonies of the past and today's powwow continue to celebrate good hunts and harvests, the giving of gifts and thanks, and the honoring of warriors and veterans. These traditions teach youth the values needed to survive as a people and to live an honorable life.