Pow Wow Series: Part One, The History & Reclaiming Our Right To Dance
Caroline White, Elizabeth Joseph, Gail Skead, Ida Skead. 1st or 2nd Pow Wow on the grounds of Cecilia Jeffery Residential School
Pow Wow Series
Ive been thinking about this ‘Pow Wow Series’ for some time now, and Im so happy I’m finally able to write and share this very important series. I’ve been researching so much in order to make this series as informative, factual and inclusive as I possibly can.
For some people, Pow Wows are a way of life. Its the time that we get to truly show our Native pride, for the ones like myself that live in urban cities, its the time we finally get to be surrounded by other natives, surrounded by our relations. Its a time to celebrate life, to celebrate who we are as Indigenous people, to honour our ancestors, our elders, and Creator.
I come to a Powwow to be an Indian, to get a sense of myself. This is part of Indian Spirituality, to help each other and to celebrate with each other. When I come to Pow Wows, I gain strength to carry on with my life. -Rachel Snow, Assiniboine
Pow Wow life is extremely important to me, and its important that I share my love for Pow Wows with my son. A few days after I found out I was pregnant, I went to Mississauga’s of the New Credit’s Traditional Pow Wow, and I was able to share the exciting news about my pregnancy with my community. The next year when Ogichida was just a newborn, I brought him to New Credit for his first Pow Wow, he didn’t dance and neither did I, I just wanted to simply sit with him and let him watch the dancers, listen to the drummers and play with his cousins. Last year, he danced in New Credit’s Pow Wow for the first time and I finally got to do an Intertribal with my baby boy. New Credit Pow Wow is such an important Pow Wow for me and my family.
Mostly everyone that goes to Pow Wows have stories like mine about a certain Pow Wow that has a significant meaning to them. Its a place that we make memories, its a place that we meet some of our best friends or even meet our husbands (or just a snag aaayyy), its a place where we come together and just be Indian, no judgement, no worries of discrimination, its a place for us to just be, exactly the way our ancestors meant for and wanted us to be.
I felt that it only made sense to make the first article of this series all about the history of the Pow Wow. I think its extremely important that the history of Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island be told and taught to every person that resides within Turtle Island. Its important that our history and the law’s that were enforced upon our people in an attempt to assimilate us, be shared and talked about. Whenever Im dancing in my jingle dress, I can’t help but to think of my ancestors that were literally forbidden from doing exactly what I, and so many of my relations throughout Turtle Island, love doing. I think about the generations of our ancestors that were never able to feel the same kind of love, excitement and happiness that I feel when I put on my regalia, hear the drum and start dancing.
Roland & Carol Nadjiwon
Part One, The History & Reclaiming Our Right To Dance
I’ve put together this article which highlights the history and origins of Pow Wows (I know there are multiple origin stories of Pow Wows, this is simply one of many not only one is the right story and none are wrong, all are significant and factual) as well as the difficult history our people have had to face and endure when it came to Pow Wows. But, also all the steps our people took and the long fight to reclaim our right to dance and sing.
‘Pow Wow is about celebrating the power of the earth. To dance is to bless it with each step. To sing is to honour it with each vocable, each sound I make’
-Richard Wagamese
In an attempt to resist cultural assimilation after the introduction of Indian Reservations in the 1830’s, First Nation’s communities throughout both Canada and the United States created gatherings to help maintain traditions and culture through dance and music.
‘Watching Algonqiuan medicine men dance, European settlers mistook the name of the dance, Pauwau, for the name of the ceremony, so the word Pow Wow came to be used for any tribal gathering.’(1)
‘Rooted in Pawnee ceremony, Pow Wows were adopted by other tribes whom added speechmaking, giveaways/ gift giveaway and feasts. By the 1880’s, some 30 Plains tribes were holding Pow Wows to establish new friendships and celebrate shared traditions.’
If you come to these celebrations, you’ll see all our young boys and girls with their feathers on. They are proud…proud to be Indians…proud to be wearing the Eagle feather. And to us, that is very sacred. -Hazel Blake, Hidatsa
The Indian Act was created in 1867 and was enacted in 1876. ’The legislation was enacted in the belief that Indian societies would disappear in the normal flow of progress. The Indian Act, like reservations and the Federal Indian Affairs Department, were conceived as temporary expedients that would continue only until the Indian people were absorbed into white society.’(2)
In the United States, a similar ‘Act’ was created in 1851 called the Indian Appropriations Act.
Among many other restrictions and laws/‘rules' enforced by the government regarding the Indian Act, the Act restricted the right of Indigenous peoples of ‘Canada' to practice ceremonies as well as wear traditional clothing, resulting in the obstruction of Pow Wows. In 1921 a similar prohibitive legislation in ‘America’ labelled dancing and ceremonies ‘Indian Offences’, banning Pow Wows and any for of Indigenous dance, tradition, cultural practice and ceremonies.
First Nations of Turtle Island continued to practice our culture, ceremonies and hold Pow Wows in secret despite the governments restrictions and ‘laws’/‘rules’ within the Indian Act. First Nations had the authoritative figure of Indian Agents* watching their every move, this making it risky and even harder to hold Pow Wows and cultural practices in secret. Thankfully, as long as the Pow Wows didn’t attract too much attention in areas off the reserve, some Indian Agents would turn a blind eye.
Two First Nations communities that showed true resiliency and persistence by continuing to hold Pow Wows for 75 years during the period that the Indian Act restricted these practices, were the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation and the Thunderchild First Nation both in Saskatchewan.
‘The persistence and Pow Wow’s and Indigenous ceremonies throughout this period demostrates the strength and ability of First Nations to survive and adapt.’
During this time, First Nations communities tried multiple attempts to protest the Indian Act but also adapt to make Pow Wows as well as ceremonies less ‘threatening’ in the eyes of the government. This included petitioning and organizing political forums for the re-establishment of ceremonies and cultural practices. In regards to making ceremonies less ‘threatening’, this included communities attempting to shorten Pow Wows as well as agree not to eat sacred foods during ceremonies & Pow Wows.
Returning Indigenous veterans from World War II demanded the right and freedom the practice cultural and traditional ceremonies. Around the same time, Indigenous communities became more vocal about the same issues.
(3)Between 1946 and 1948, the Canadian government established a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons in order to hear the various reports from Indigenous communities about Indigenous life. The result was another amendment to the Act in 1951 that allowed First Nations to continue their traditional ceremonies, including Pow Wows, without interference by Indian and federal agents alike.
For over 60 years in Canada, Indigenous people and First Nations communities in Canada were faced with the restriction to simply practice their culture and religion, as well as forced to attend assimilationist institutions better known as Residential Schools. This had lasting effects on our people that we still see in our generations today. When the new amendment to the Indian Act came to be in 1951 that allowed First Nations communities to hold Pow Wows and practice their culture and traditional ceremonies, many Indigenous People argued that it came too late and the effects of the centuries of being too frightened to practice their culture, had already settled in to many Indigenous families and individuals. This resulted in many Indigenous children and elders being still too afraid of still being possibly punished from the federal government and sadly yet understandably ashamed to participate and attend Pow Wows. Because of this, numerous ceremonies and traditions have been lost and/or altered.
(3)During the 1960s the Indigenous Rights Movement and strong efforts to reclaim Indigenous culture Pow Wows entered and era of resurgence. For the first time, Pow Wows allowed people from different indigenous and ethnic backgrounds to come together in celebration of song and dance. The modern day Pow Wow was born.
The Pow Wow series will include articles about each Men and Women dance category, as well history and knowledge about the Big Drum, the songs, Grand Entry and so much more. Im looking forward to sharing this new series with all of you, I hope you enjoy it.
If you have any stories and/or knowledge regarding anything to do with Pow Wow's (any of the dance categories, grand entry, the big drum, songs etc.), please feel free to email me. If suitable and with your consent, I will add what you've shared to the corresponding article within this series, and as it should be, you will be given credit for all and any knowledge, stories and or/ information you've shared that is used.
Email: atribecalledbeauty@gmail.com
Instagram: @atribecalledbeauty & @nativebossbabe
Roland Nadjiwon with his Mother
*DISCLAIMER*
There is so much information, knowledge, teachings and stories that surround Pow Wows that it would be impossible for me to share all of it. I can only share what I know and in no way, do I know everything about Pow Wows from all the many different nations & tribes of Turtle Island. In no way am I saying that the knowledge and stories shared within the Pow Wow Series is the only knowledge and stories there is to know about Pow Wows. Every tribe and nation has their own teachings and stories in regards to every aspect of Pow Wows. I will try to incorporate as much of these different teachings and stories as possible. If you have knowledge, teachings and stories that has not been mentioned already in the Pow Wow Series, please feel free to email me so I may incorporate what you have to share into the corresponding article of this series.
References:
(1) & (2) Through Indian Eyes, Canada
(3)https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/history-of-powwows
*In the United States an Indian Agent was an individual authored to interact with Native American tribes and First Nation band governments on behalf of the government. In Canada an Indian Agent was essentially the same authoritative figure as was in the United States, in Canada they were mandated by the Indian Act and were the chief administrators for Indian affairs in their respective districts. The powers of the Indian Agents in both Canada and the US held sway over the lives of all First Nations peoples in their jurisdiction.