Early
European explorers and missionaries called Indian community events,
such as gatherings of thanks for a good harvest or hunt, seasonal celebrations,
warrior safety ceremonies, etc., by the Algonquian word, "pawaw".
This word evolved to "powwow" and grew to mean any American
Indian dance for any purpose.
In the late 1800s, after moving the Native Americans
to reservations, the U.S. government restricted these gatherings because
they were considered pagan. But the tradition was too deeply held by
the Indians to be squelched, and powwows are now grand celebrations
that keep the old ways alive.
We attended our first powwow in the tiny town of Porcupine,
South Dakota. We didn't know what to expect, but figured things out
as we went and enjoyed being part of this rich celebration. Rain from
the previous few days made the dirt road down into the powwow grounds
a veritable swamp, but nothing dampened the spirits of the dancers.
Click
Here for a helpful guide for powwow visitors
we found at the Mille
Lacs Ojibwe Museum.
)
We
watched many different types of dances. The men and women compete in separate
categories. Amanda's favorite was the girls jingle dress dance. Jingle dresses
were first made after white traders introduced chewing tobacco to the Natives
Americans. The Indians would curl the metal lids and sew them onto clothing
to produce a jingling sound when dancing. Today, pressed tin jingle circles
can be purchased in bulk, but most still say "tobacco" on them.)
"Grand
Entrance" is the time for all dancers to come into the ring together.
It is a special time where elders and veterans are honored, as well as powwow
royalty and other special groups. 
Faces
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for more faces) 
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