The Pow wow

The word Pow wow in English means PauWau which means  healing ceremony .

In times gone past this was conducted by spiritual  or religious leaders in various tribes across turtle island .

These were held across a wide range of Indian nations either to celebrate a successful hunt or battle with a different tribe.

These events took place at the edge  the village where a large fire would be lit away from  the lodges so all the village could gather to gether and celebrate with sinning ,chanting , and playing the drums .

Various styles  of dancing could be used such as the grass dance , chicken dance straight dance and so on . Today more elaborate styles are now part of any  Powwows and large amounts of money can be won.

The original Pow wows however as said had a way to bring to gether the same tribe that may be some miles apart to celebrate exchange news and stories and rekindle friendships .

Even when one tribe had had a battle with a different tribe,  they would have a Powwow to make peace and alliances .

To day modern Powwows are held across the U.S.A and Canada to bring native people together to

Celebrate their ancient culture and customs.

Most of these intertribal events  take place in the summer when it is easier for people to travel, and they are held outside where space isn’t restricted .

Powwows are also held in large stadiums as well. This is because a lot of  native peoples don’t  live on or near reservations .

Like all people today many native people live in more urban areas or in large cities, so Powwows are held in large stadiums or civic centre’s particularly during the wintertime when it is not possible to have large gatherings outside .

Again, this can bring a sense of belonging  back to people who want to reconnect with their tribal history or share ideas and customs and show younger generations that have lost some of their cultural identity in the modern world .