Pow wow party for sisters

The drum beat is powerful and constant. Costumed dancers stroll in a slow, steady manner through the dancing floors. Women grip the edge of their scarves and stretch them to display amazing designs. Men with feathers of eagle dance in unison as their feathers dance with every step. The aroma of fried bread is in the air.

Every year, the UW organizes two powwows that celebrate Native American cultures. The less formal event occurs in January. The larger Spring Pow Wow in April is a massive event that draws thousands of visitors to the Hec Edmundson Pavilion. First Nations@UW, a student group, organizes the events.

The course also covers pow wow, which is offered in conjunction with American Indian Studies in conjunction with First Nations@UW. The course teaches the background and significance of pow-wow and acts as a stipend for students involved in organizing annual events.

“It was important for the class to be tied directly to implementation of pow wow,” says Tom Colonnese, professor of American Indian studies, who instructs the class. “You are able to learn about powwow from classes and films, but as with the majority of things, you cannot actually understand it unless you’re present. It’s a physical experience. You can feel the drums and listen to the beat of the drums. It is essential to play pow wow in order to truly understand it.”

Colonnese explains that “pow wow” is believed to originate directly from the Algonquian word ‘pauau which means gathering. The English who were present at “paua” heard the word ‘pow wow,’ and the term stuck. However, this particular historical fact, like many features of powwow, is the subject of debate.

“Many elements of the history of pow wow–where things come from, what they mean–are controversial,” says Colonnese. “If you ask dancers from different countries about a particular dance, you’re most likely to receive the same answer from every person. It’s because there’s nothing that can be described as Indian. It’s a European creation. It’s a way of putting the name of a single culture over 500 other cultures. Each one has their own beliefs regarding dances.”

The majority of people agree that the first dances emphasized two things: nature and the success of hunts. They were generally performed in spring when large groups of hunters reunited after breaking into smaller hunting groups for winter. Dances to celebrate victory in war came into existence later, during the 1600s. “One of the earliest of these was the ‘grass dance,'” Colonnese says. “These dances were done on prairies with tall grass that they had to beat down to create a dance floor.”

At the Winter Pow Wow, Stacey Goodbuffalo danced in a colorful shawl of butterflies

Pow Wow continued to change by introducing ‘fancy dancing,’ the most exciting and fast-paced type of dance, gaining popularity during the 1890s. “Some say that ‘fancy dancing’ grew out of Indian dancing in Wild West shows, where the Indians were asked to make the dances and outfits fancier,” Colonnese says. “Others claim that it was actually the Indian dancers themselves that wanted to make a change. I would guess it was a combination of both. There is always a change.”

While powwows are now attracting large crowds, there was once a place when government officials banned these celebrations from the U.S. government as part of a larger effort to incorporate Native Americans. Pow wows resurfaced following World War I (or World War II, depending on who you inquire). They were much more common in the late 1960s, as Americans accepted their ethnicity, and they continued to increase in popularity. The University of Wisconsin’s three-day Spring Pow Wow attracted

“A lot of Indian students, if you ask them about the first time they were on the UW campus, will say it was at a pow wow,” Colonnese says. “And most of their parents think it’s essential to make sure that the UW has respect for Indian tradition. The powwow is, in addition an opportunity to attract Native student.”

Detail of a traditional bustle of eagle feathers worn by a male dancer

Mona Daniels, a social work major, was a kid who went to powwows. “My father brought me and my siblings to pow wows every summer in Idaho, Washington, and Montana,” she recalled. “I began dancing when I was 5 years older. A sister of mine was fancy dancer so that’s the type of dance I longed to perform. I was given my Indian name, Lil’ Yellow Bird in a powwow. I wore a small yellow shawl. People said when I danced, I appeared like a tiny yellow bird that was bouncing around on in the floor.”

Daniels, as well as Jim La Roche, an Anthropology major, serve as teaching assistants in the pow-wow class that both of them have attended. They also serve as leaders for First Nations@UW.

La Roche attended powwows as a kid but was unsure of the process behind putting one together. The method of organizing a powwow, according to him, was an eye-opener. “When you’re working it, you realize what a huge effort it is,” the man states. “The Spring Pow Wow is an all-year effort that begins with a general plan before going into the details. There’s a cultural aspect as well as a business aspect to the event. I’ve been awestruck by that.”

In the days when Daniels, as well as La Roche, took the pow-wow class, it was a tiny group mostly attended by Native American students. The course now has 150 students, with many more waiting to be added–from different backgrounds. “This may be the only chance for some of these students to interact with Native peoples,” La Roche says. La Roche. “We believe they’ll be able to be able to understand us better in the process. We’re one of the least-known students on campus, but we’re well-known. We’re certainly not going to be overlooked.” Adds Colonnese, “I think that the students are more influenced by their Indian colleagues than from my courses and lectures.”

Tom Colonnese (left) and Mona Daniels share a moment with Winter Pow Wow emcee Dave Browneagle in the UW’s HUB Ballroom.

Like the classes are accessible to everyone and participants, the powwow is also open to everyone in the community. Daniels, along with La Roche, wants people to know that it’s not an exclusive event for Native Americans. “Come, buy a piece of fried bread, and stay a few hours,” La Roche adds. La Roche. “It’s a great celebration.”

For those who require more convincing, take a look at Daniels’s touching account of the meaning of pow wow to her: “Pow wows have helped me heal myself. When I listen to the drums and observe the dancers, it makes me feel better. It is a chance for me to reconnect with my family and friends from the past and to make new ones. I’ve always been told that dancing is a way to express myself. Do not just dance for myself; I dance for my parents and friends who cannot dance anymore and for my loved ones who have passed into the world beyond, and also to celebrate my loved ones. Pow wow is part of my joy.”