Observation Native American Powwow

Introduction

For my ethnography project, I decided to observe Native American culture. More specifically, I decided to observe Native American powwows, and how they unite the different tribes participating from across the country and how they unite people within a tribe. Powwows are an event where Native American people gather to sing, dance, participate in contests, have food, and ultimately bond with one another throughout the occasion. The powwow that I attended was Utah State University’s 44th annual powwow, which occurred on Saturday March 4, 2017 at noon. In order to learn more about the powwow from an insider’s perspective, I talked to a girl who looked to be a young adult, and participated in the dancing throughout the event. Although

she did not tell me her name, in my interview with her, she informed me that she was a powwow dancer, and I had the opportunity of watching her perform in the Teenage Girl competitions. Our interview was conducted just before the powwow began, as that was when she said she would have time to discuss the powwow with me, and though I wish that I had been able to meet up with her afterwards to discuss what I watched and clarify on anything that I was confused about, she offered thoughtful insight which helped me understand more about Native American culture.

Worldviews, Ideals and Beliefs
Throughout this event, it could be seen that Native Americans place high value on family and tribes. One of the questions that I asked my informant was, “What made you interested in performing at a powwow?” She replied, “My whole family dances at powwows, so I do it with them” (Powwow Dancer). Furthermore, as I watched people prepare and perform, groups of people seemed to be together, with some people looking to be a family, and others groups of friends or perhaps from the same tribe. This was confirmed when the announcer spoke of different tribes who were at the powwow together, such as the Sonwater tribe or the Duchesne tribe. Yet, it’s interesting to note that although only Native Americans were official participants in the powwow and its contests, during dances that weren’t “official” parts of the powwow (such as the dance in between the Grand Entry and the first competitive dance) a few random, Non Native American people dressed in everyday clothes such as jeans and a tee shirt joined the in dancing, and nobody cared. Everyone continued as if nothing had changed, thus exhibiting that Native Americans are open-minded to outside involvement in powwows.
Another attitude that prevails in Native American culture is that one should respect their elders. In between competition events at the powwow, the announcer would sometimes talk to the audience about various topics, such as the history of the USU powwow or even about certain people participating in the powwow. One piece of advice that he made certain was clear, however, was “Don't learn from a book. Go ask an elder… Books can be wrong, but your Elders know” (44th Annual USU Pow Wow). This shows that elders are held in high esteem and are seen as a reliable source of information.

Cultural Rules
At a powwow there are specific cultural rules that performers and observers must abide by.

One of the principal rules is that people must respect one another. The audience must stand when appropriate, sit when appropriate, clap when appropriate, and the participants must be civil to each other. For instance, when the Grand Entry (the first main event) began, the announcer asked the audience to stand - which everyone did - even those who had been wandering through vendor stands. They continued to do so until the announcer told the audience that they may sit when the Grand Entry ended, at which point the audience applauded the performance. The powwow participants who weren’t performing during Grand Entry also generally abided by these rules. They made sure that any preparations for their dance did not interfere with any ongoing performance, thus showing courtesy to fellow participants. Moreover, in my interview with the powwow dancer, I asked, “Is the audience expected to act a certain way at a powwow or are there appropriate behavior and inappropriate behavior expectations?” She responded, “Well, if you want to take pictures, you’re supposed to ask because some people don’t want you to take pictures.” This is a prime example of an expectation that goes back to the general rule of respecting people, by giving them the choice of whether they want to be

photographed.
Native American powwows also have a stratification system that divides people according to age and gender. In the words of my informant, “there are different age levels that people perform at. Like there’s Golden Age Men, Golden Age Women, Junior Girls and Junior Boys, and Tiny Tots.” She also mentioned that there are different dances and competitions for men and women, and they are not supposed to dance like each other. This could be seen throughout the event when the competitions progressed from the Tiny Tots division, to Golden Age Women, to Golden Age Men, to Adult Women, to Adult Men, then Junior Girls, to Junior Boys, to Teen Girls, and Teen Boys. Additionally, each division had specific dances that they were to perform, such as the Junior Girl Jingle or the Men’s Grass Dance. Hence, gender and age are key factors in determining status differences.