Going to The Powwow,Wa,a wa a hey aaaaaaaaaaa! ah

PoWWow Time Wa ahey a hey aaaaaaaaaaaa! AHHHHH! Everybody gee down to Grand Entry..................Share the Buffalo Robe.........
2 Step,grass Dance,Round Dance,round and round like the swirling leaves
laughter and fun for everyone!!! Snag a lady, Snag a man,you don't need a band. Just the heart beat of the drum, boom,booom,boom,
There is nothing better than a fall poWWow in the crisp blue sky and among the brightly coloredfeathered dancers and fallleaves. Camp and smell the cooking fires wafe across the Sacred Earth. Look,Look, MEGZi in the sky.Megwitch Megzi




It is getting to be my favorite time of the year again in the Midwest. October Powwow time! I love outdoor powwows the best. The indoor powwows just don't cut it for me! The drum beat is thrown off by the inside building echo between the floor and the ceiling! I say our but it is really the American and Canadian Indian people who own powwows! It theirs and theirs alone and goes back so far in history no one is sure when it all started! Each Nation, each tribe,each Band,even some families have their own version, a story of where it came from and of the powwow and the rules that go along with it.I will discuss these a bit here.It is one of the few exclusive things Indian People have left,that is why some are quite touchy about it!Remember you are talking about a people who have already lost or given so "much" in really less than 200 years! I have been going to PowWows for about 49 years now.I am not Indian but for some weird reason I have been around Indians my whole life.How long? As my Old Friend Black Eagle said,"I'll bet long enough to put some of that red hair on some of them! Yep!" that was when my hair and beard was red!Oh,what fun!Way,ah waa hey aaaaaaaa!ah my Oldtimer,is gone,Black Jack Daisy,Way,ah................I have had as many wives......as Solomon!'''''''''way ah aaaaaaaaa! I basically have made a little living too, trading and vending at powwows all over the U.S.A. and Canada before moving my Trade blanket mainly over to the world's greatest powwow market here on okay.I am going to tell you all about authentic powwows from my perspective! My perspective and the way I look at my world today as this hair turns quickly thin and grey. I have been very lucky to have been invited into many Indian Camps and Ceremonies and the POWWOW is just one of many, ceremonies actually. I am not a expert by any means. Being an expert is not acceptable in Indian Country.It is right up there with being a high-muck-a-muck which,the saying itself actually had its orgins in Nootka Indian Country before Mark Twain embellished it!See even words and language was stolen! In my nearly 50 years of powwow attending I have mainly kept my mouth shut and closely watched as I was advised many years ago by my good Ojibwe Friend Charles Moose(Mous)Pamptopee a legendary young Ojibwa/Pottowami warrior among many other roles.He paused, tiped his head back and further said, "and you will learn much."Little did I know at the time,how much! My Good Friend Paul Johnson said, and "you will probably write a book about this someday. "Like Charles Eastman About your life with the Indians." Well Paul, it doesn't look like I am going to get around to the book. So bear with me Paul, and the rest of you. I am gonna give you a few more okay ramblings,because okay hasn't tossed me off for anything I have written yet!They might if I don't pay my bill! LOLOLOL The truth is I have seen just about everything at a Powwows! My they have changed over the years. All of us have changed over the years too right along with them. The first rule of the powwow though is basically what happens there stays there! Just like Las Vegas. I believe powwows had that rule first before there was a Vegas. But in reality "it" really doesen't stay there,that is ideal culture talking,in real culture outstanding events are passed quickly through something called the "moccasin telegraph", and it eventually turns into a "kill" story,a kill stories eventually begees the stuff that eventually begee legends and are told for years and years later! In modern time a kill story is one that kills you with belly busting laughter! in the old days it was, well a kill story! Somebody got killed! or touched with a coup stick,or touched some one with one, LOLOL Maybe I will write about some of those later! Some specific incidents or kill stories would spice this guide up a bit! LOLOLOL The basic thing to remember at a Powwow is that American Indians and Canadian Indians are not going to tolerate any non Indians trying to take control or changing their powwow in any manner or form. The truth is if you can tolerate your strong feelings and subtle urges to play dominate culture and manifest your destiny, you will kick back with a little fry bread,some boiled coffee,and corn soup! and enjoy yourself like never before! The powwow is basically a celebration of the people, all people! You are going to basically feast,dance,and sing,and trade! AND........ You are going to experience American Indian Culture as you never have before. The Door is open to you to enjoy yourself.Just realize you are walking through that cultural door for a brief moment in modern time probably, three days,Friday night,Saturday and Sunday, if you stay the full duration.There are going to be certain things you do at different times and events to show respect. The main thing is about respect.There will be drumming and a almost constant beat that is said, "to be the heartbeat of the people." Again by,for,and all, people. Sometimes not women people they will not drum, It depends on the tribe and their beliefs.Their are many healing stories told about the drum! So all that goes on around that Drum is considered to be pretty Sacred! At least a Sacred Space.If you get there in thee early morning before the sun gees up you will see Holy man and women blessing and smudging the whole arena at most powwows.So that Arena is considered Sacred too.When they are blessing the grounds you should remove your hat and refrain from loud language.They are saying prayers for the people even you.The four leggeds,the winged,the creatures that crawl,...... everything big and small. You will take your hats off during the Grand Entry too and during the powwow prayer, and the placing of the flags by the Warriors of all nations present. Indians take care of their Veterans,they recognize the contributation made by Veterans who have laid their lives on the line for the people,again giving the ultimate sacrifice, going far back before the time they were on opposing sides with each other.You will be asked to take your hat off many times before the powwow ends. Unless you have a Eagle feather on it.If your a non-Indian you better not have a Eagle feather or feather of any protected bird even if it is road kill!That is asking for a stiff fine and a jail term! The Indian people won't do that but the Feds will! I was Honored with four significant Eagle Feathers at different times in my life,they became like familure friends to me, but I finally quit carrying them and gave them to a Holy Person for safe keeping because of Federal harassment I had to endure.You know I wonder how those Rodeo Cowboys who aren't Indian get away with wearing them Eagle or Red Tailed hawk feathers on the National Rodeo on T.V.? Oh,Well back to the powwow. You will be listening to the MC and some one called the Arena director during most of the powwow for cues as what to do next.There really is organization and "time" even if it doesn't appear like there is any! That is "Indian Time" LOLOL A Camera of any kind is still pretty Taboo, just about anyplace unless you have permission to use it.The people are less touchy today than they were during the Old AIM,OLD AIM,the Orginal American Indian Movement was just that, a great movement that was really vital and important for a short time,it helped many Indian People all over the world look again at their birthright and place on the Mother Earth, because of the orginal movement created a great movement of young Indian people swept up from the gutters of drugs and booze and SUICIDE and despair into the main stream of the American political experience. I know I was there.The Orginal AIM was good, like a refreshing Thunderstorm on the plains!The Souls were in purification and created a beauty that was difficult to live up too. Individual people within the organization were mainly seeking their inner Soul and their rightful place within Creation and the United States political process.Well anyway it was the latter days when the Feds were looking for Dennis Banks,and every good looking male Skin had a bumper sticker on their suitcase that said, "I am Dennis Banks".Because Indian people knew they all looked alike to the Feds and everyone else with the stereotyped hollywood numbed mind! What is scarry is image control and stereotypes have gotton worse and especially the dumbing down of America and everyone of you who thinks at all for yourself knows what is causing that! Hey pay attention now,more about AIM later. You just don't steal photos of cute little kids to later sell on okay unless you have the parents signed permission.Individuals and families you get permission from them.

You can ask my good photo Journalist friend Minnie Wabanimpke about that, and she is a full blooded card carrying Odawa of the Grand Traverse Band of Odawa Indians. Remember when you take photos for gemerical purposes you are often taking just one more very personal thing! a persons image, you don't wander all over the place randomly shooting those GREAT! shots!When you take the individual shot you just might just have the kid approach you and ask for 15.00 or 20.00 and he or she deserves at least that if you are going to sell his/her image in some form! The large group photos are like news photos in most part except that the arena director or master of ceremonies will give you permission and tell you when you can shoot.I remember a man who desperately wanted to take some personal photographs a few years ago,he was so eager I thought he was going to have a heart attack or something,so I told him, "just ask permission." He finally got enough courage and asked. He wanted to get his photo with a tail bustle on. He was given permission by the young Ojibwe warrior. He gave his camera to someone to take he and his wife's photo,he grabbed her arm in one hand and immediately grabbed the Eagle Tail Bustle,and mestakenly placed the the Eagle Tail Bustle on his head believing it to be a Sioux War Bonnet he had seen in Dances With Wolves, LOLOLOLOLOL The young Ojibwe Warrior and other Traditionals were very polite and after much gut busting laughter( A GOOOOOOOOOD POWWOW IS RATED BY MUCH GUT BUSTING LAUGHTER)One of these days I am going to rate every POWWOW I have been too! LOLOLOLLOLOL,and you can hear it all night and all day. The Young Warrior showed him how it was to be worn and patiently attached it to him where it belonged so he could get quality photos.They eventually posed with he and his wife too. The only person I ever saw lose his film was a Japanese Tourist who went absolutely berzerk, nuts and started firing away all over the place with his with his large super lens muckety muck,flash,flash,flash cameras, during the morning prayer time.He roughed himself up a bit too because,he thought the plainclothed Indians in Security, raggedy assed Indians Anna Mae used to talk about, who had gentley slid on each side of him and took each arm,were thieves or thugs trying to take his camera when all they wanted was to get his shooting during the prayer time stopped,they took his film! Strange thing usually you won't find any people more polite than the traditional Japanese People,very respectful and polite,but put a camera in their hand,AND!oh well anothet Stereotype I suppose, and most of the time Traditional Indian people on a one to one are the most respectful kind people you can meet too.Sometimes very unusual things happen in these cross cultural settings you don't experience anywhere else and that too is just part of the fun!You can't always see them but in that tension of the cross-cultural setting there are little things to look for on some individual shoulders as well,if you look closely they look like a small wood chip and there are a few damaged or toxic personalities just waiting for you to knock it off. This is usually a individual thing and certainly not condoned by the Elders or traditional tribal people in attendence. They know that the toxicity spirit can spread and ruin a good powwow.The word gets around the moccasin telegraph and the non-Native public and soon all people just quit attending.Hey,who wants to pay a gate entrance fee to go into a place to get beat up either physically,verbally,or mentally? That is sick, a part of the toxic sickeness that goes with substance abuse and a lot of dysfunctional behavior that has nothig to do with culture. These incidents are few and far between nowdays,and are discussed and dealt with in private council and usually dealt with rather harshly, If you are alert you can usually tell when someone is carrying a chip.If you are like me you don't have time for this behavior,or anger game.In my fifty years with Indians I have only ben hit twice and both individuals were sociopaths,one is still in prison because he went on to bigger things, sad.The other is so self destructive that he eventually alienates everyone who is healthy and is shunned by strong minded traditional people. LOLOLOL More about this and powwow attendence later. If you feel like dancing you don't just run out and dance at any time either, this isn't like the Polka, this isn't even a wedding reception yet it can remind you of one. One of the Powwows I found was indoors where they gebined the cakewalk with the round dance, that was fun! Cherokee all the Way ah way! LOLOLOL By all means don't call those thousands of dollars of beautiful beaded clothing,feathers, bells, and Copenhagen can lid covered dresses around you costumes,to say to your sixth grader, the Indians are wearing COSTUMES,that is about the worst thing you can do!Costumes are the things everyone wears trick or treating! LOLOLOLOL It usually applies to the rushed burlap bag last minute Indian dress,prepared for Haloween.That is definately a COSTUME. Quickly made poorly made and full of stereotypes. The word costume immediately identifies you as a powwow newbey,that is "REGALIA" if you call it anything, sometimes I have also heard "outfit". Feel the urge to DANCE! Don't unless it is an acceptable time to dance. If you want to vend make sure you jump through the proper hoops,because you must be invited,contact me with your vending or trading idea and I will help you get invited. I will also let you know if you will make any money or not. DOLLAR BOB taught me,he was the college professor of indinTrading. Hey Bob contact me if you are out there someplace. and I will teach you! If you want to sell moccasins at your local PoWWow by all means contact me I will get you started. I can't get to them all.There are usually times when everyone is given permission to dance.My Brother and Sister Hippies in the 60's used to have difficulty with this one! Especially with a half a buzz on! You shouldn't dance or even gee to a powwow with half a snoot full of anything anymore. Drugs and Booze are not allowed these days at most powwows! Remember always, just get with the flow, there will be plenty of time for everything under the sun.I will write more of later if there is enough interest in this guide. In the meantime if you go to a Pow Wow just remember to be kind to the persons next to you,talk softly,and keep your eyes open and you will learn much. Oh by the way,it is acceptable to be a newbey there,the Indian Traditionals expect and in most part tolerate your errors. If it is funny, and Gut Busting it is Bottom Line, GOOD POWWOW! and the Clown,in most Indian Cultures, is considered to be Sacred too.It is much more acceptable to be a newbey, or clown than a wanabee twinkee,NEW AGED circuit rider or especially a muckety,muck wanabee twinkee. Woops! wait a minute,I know your tired of all this information your teacher never taught you in social studies or history class. For more read her Book The Lies my teacher taught me. They are real cheap here on the okay bargin house and flea market. You might learn that their weren't no turkey at the first Thanksgiving. Well almost except a Pilgrim or two.LOLOLOL
They Ate Squantos food and thank him for the help with their garden to grow food to survive.Prayed for health and happiness for everyone with their best Bible in hand. Then later that winter they killed him and swiped all the food he had stored up for his famillies long winter. took his garden and planted it for themselves the next summer. My Friend Russ Means said ,The rock should have landed on the Pilgrims rather than the Pilgrims on the Rock! LOLOL
I know you are tired by now and want to sit down but don't sit down,those nice chairs around the arena aren't placed there to provide you with a seat or a place to rest. No, You didn't pay for that,if you paid,that was to just to pass through that cultural doorway! Nothing else. The chairs are for the elders,dancers,and dancers families unless you are told otherwise! If you didn't bring one you may not have a seat. See how easy it is to do the wrong thing! Do you a feel a bit like you are walking on eggshells, hey let me tell you something, you are!You are probably going into a bit of cultural shock too now for the first time in your life.You are outnumbered by people you seldom see or rub elbows with,who actually outnumbered you just 200 years ago, and whether you like it our not your head is starting to play every hollywood scene you have ever seen in your stereotyped brain LOLOLOL I am too, actually everyone is, wether we accept it or not! Isn't that fun! More Later.Maybe if you read this and rate it.More ........on.................powwow ratings, foods,drinking,drugging,giveaways,buying,selling,trading,dating,even making love,and what you all been looking for, how to buy the good artsey stuff to re-sell on okay!As my Brother Lee in Dublin says, "a DEAl is a DEAL!is a deal"! it really is. Thanks for reading my ramblings, Sincerely, Woody The MocassinmanUPDATE: 5/7/06 LEBANON INDIANA AMERICAN INDIAN COUNCIL POWOW We just attended another great PowWow April 22-23 done by the experts of the American Indian Councilof Lebanon Indiana. We got everone that needed re-shoed or re-moced and boy did they dance! Their Powwows I would highly regemend for a high quality experience. It was really well done and featured surpurb meals for all partisipants. If you would like the dates for their outstanding summer powwow. It is still one of the best Powwow's in Indiana,and Indian Country and easy to get to. send me a Email if you need more information.


Regemended PoWWows rated by Good Feelings! Good Medicine! Good Times! LOLOLOLO
If you have never been to a PoWWow try these this summer you won't be disappointed!June 16,17,18 2006 Riverbank Traditional PoWWow Lansing MichiganAugust 19,20th American Indian Council Inc,annual PoWWow at Lebanon IndianaAlso Aug 19 and 20 Red Hawk Indian Cultural Society PoWWow Willow Ranch ,Coitsville TWP,Ohio.Tipton PoWwow at Tipton Indiana can't recall dates tonight but interesting Gourd Dancing Society!Little Elks PoWWow in Mt Pleasant ,Michigan can't remember the dates just call the Soaring Eagle Casino someone will give you the details. This one has the most jingle dancers you wil ever see in one place! September 9 and 10 Grand Valley American IndianLodge Grand Rapids ,Michigan.



Thanks,Rochell,Cindy,Joe,Mary, and especially Sandy for raising such a fine Marine Warrior Son to fight in Iraq! We will all pray for him to survive another tour of duty!Thanks to all of you for reading my ramblings. If you want to purchase nice poWWow vintage dresses and clothingenter #320161672000 in the okay search Engine.Keep laughing,Sincerely,Old Woody

Here as the Woodland or Indian Santa Claus! The name Mouz Pamptopee and Ted Holy PawsGave me many,many years ago! LOLOLOLOL.....or.....HoHoHo! I turned into one! LOLOLOL Now I travel all over nowas Santahitman.ge.
This is the Country/Cowboy Santa! Hoho Hi O'Reindeer away!!!! I just ride one like the pony express get there quicker that way!! HoHoHo!If you need a Cowboy Santa on your Reservation send me a okay email.