I was near Taos, New Mexico, and attended a Pow Wow, a traditional ceremony that brings Native American families together for socializing, dancing, and singing. It is a chance for people to display their native dress and compete for prizes. These are festive occasions, and food trucks serve great food, including my favorite, Navajo Fry Bread.
The Smithsonian website has a history of the Pow Wow.
The term “powwow” derives from Pau Wau, meaning “medicine man” in Narrtick, a language spoken by the Algonquian peoples in Massachusetts. English settlers began misusing the word to refer to the meetings of Indigenous medicine men, and later to any kind of American Indian gathering. American Indians have since reclaimed the term.
The word “powwow” began to appear in newspapers in the early twentieth century, advertising “authentic” Indigenous dance shows. Some performers put on exaggerated “war dances” to entertain pioneers traveling westward. These Wild West shows became a part of popular culture as non-Native spectators became infatuated with the “traditional” Native image. They sought out powwows that boasted the presence of elders, in order to ensure an “authentic” ceremony.
Below are photos I took of dancers in attractive native dress. I also prepared a video of the women and men dancing and the drummers and their chanting.
POW*MIA stands for Prisoner of War/Missing in Action for our soldiers captured or missing during the Vietnam War.
Here is a video of the dancing and music-making. Please note the elaborate beadwork on the shoes worn by the women. In the video, you will note a police backup from the neighboring Apache Reservation.
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Great, colorful photos!
Larry these are fabulous photos! Thank you so much for remembering...