Annual Pow Wow celebrates
culture with dance, drums
■The University’s Native
American Student Union
brought generations together
for festivities this weekend
By Danielle Gillespie
Oregon Daily Emerald
Dancing in styles ranging from vi
brant and lively to slow and serene,
men, women and children dressed
in traditional Native American at
tire joined the Native American Stu
dent Union on Saturday and Sun
day in McArthur Court to celebrate
its 34th annual Pow Wow.
The weekend’s events began with
a welcoming speech by University
President Dave Frohnmayer, fol
lowed by a grand entry. For the
f grand entry, all of the dancers en
tered Mac Court together as a parade
* of nations to honor Native Ameri
v can ancestors and the present gen
eration, Umatilla tribe member
Thomas Morning Owl said.
“This event gives us a chance to
continue to share our culture with
the University,” NASU member
Brent Spencer said. “It gives us an
opportunity to sustain our culture
and celebrate our heritage.”
Traditionally, Native Americans
held a Pow Wow before heading into
war, but through the years, it evolved
into a celebration dance to recognize
the importance of Native American
heritage, Morning Owl said.
At the fow Wow, 13 vendors sold
Native American crafts such as
necklaces, spearheads, moccasins
and buffalo jerky. NASU also served
everyone a salmon dinner at the
University Longhouse on Saturday
and offered plenty of opportunities
for people to compete and have fun
dancing to the drum beats of the
bands Eagle Thunder, Rattling
Thunder and Fox Tail.
Men and women competed in
two dance categories — traditional
and fancy. To dance the “tradition
al,” women wear older style dresses
and men usually wear buffalo skin.
On the dance floor, their move
ments are slow and more reserved
than other Native American dances.
To dance the “fancy,” men and
women usually wear colorful out
fits and their movements are ener
getic and vibrant.
i Women also competed in the jin
gle dance category. For this dance,
4 they wear dresses with metal cones
. that make musical sounds as the dif
ferent dance moves are performed.
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Academic Advisor James Florendo
said he has been dancing at NASU’s
Pow Wows since he was a student
at the University.
“It gives me a chance to dance, and
it’s an opportunity to share with oth
er people the plant and the spirit,” he
said. “Mostly, it just feels good.”
People also participated in the
grass dance, which originated in the
plains as a ceremonial dance to
bless the ground where people
would be dancing at a festivity. For
this dance, the men wear outfits
with fringes that represent the grass,
Morning Owl said.
In addition, people danced in the
owl dance, which is one of the few
dances that allows for public affection.
For the owl dance, women choose
partners to dance with. The rabbit
dance and the push dance are the only
other two dances that allow couples to
dance together, Morning Owl said.
Because the event was free of
charge, NASU also had a blanket
dance as a way for audience mem
bers to give money as a recognition
of the dancers.
“It’s sort of like passing the hat
around, but it’s with a blanket,”
Morning Owl said.
Participants celebrate Native American culture through dance at the 34th annual Pow Wow
put on by the Native American Student Union on Saturday and Sunday in McArthur Court.
uniidren age b years and under
had the chance to dance in Tiny
Tots, and every child received a
prize for going out onto the dance
floor. In addition, children ages 7 to
12 competed for prizes in the junior
dance categories, and teenagers ages
13 to 18 also competed.
“This gives us a chance to ac
knowledge our children’s learning
of tribal dance,” Morning Owl said.
“Unlike the European culture, we
start our children dancing before
they can even walk.”
Eight-year-old Cassie Szczepakn
ski said she enjoyed dancing in the
Intertribal, an event where everyone
has a chance to dance in any style
they choose.
“It’s really fun to dance, and I like
to do it a lot,” she said.
E-mail reporter Danielle Gillespie
atdaniellegillespie@dailyemerald.com.
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