2174
CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, April 4, 1994
3
A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE
Powwow dances honor veterans carry on Native-American tradition
By Denise Nell
The powwow is a Native American spiritual celebration, often with feasting and dancing. Traditionally, reasons for performing powwows included curing diseases and celebrating success in hunting or in war. Today, powwows might be held when a son is leaving for school or joins the military. The Native American Student Association sponsored a powwow Saturday to give the University and Lawrence communities an opportunity to observe and learn about the ceremonies.
By Denise Nell Kansan staff writer
Walter Ahhaitty discovered one of the hazards of an indoor powwow Saturday.
Ahhairy, a Haskell Indian Nations University student and a dancer at the Native American Student Association's fourth annual powwow, said the floor of the Ballroom at the Kansas Union was not an ideal surface for traditional dancing.
"With these moccasins on, it gets to be like dancing on ice," he said. "If you don't watch it, you'll fall on your back."
The powwow, which began at 2 p.m. and continued until midnight, included traditional Native-American dancing, food and an arts and crafts sale. For most of the afternoon, Native Americans from as far away as Canada participated in gourd dances, which honored veterans of all wars.
At least 500 people attended the grand entry, the main event of the evening, which took place at 7 p.m. About 60 Native Americans in traditional costumes, ranging in age from 3 to 80, danced to drum music and songs provided by Native American drummers seated in a circle in the center of the ballroom.
Ahhairty, a member of the Kiowa Comanche tribe from Los Angeles, said the seating arrangement of the drummers was symbolic.
"The celebration drum in the center is
like the center of the universe," he said.
Ahhaitity, who later performed a complicated ring dance, said he had been dancing in powwows all his life.
"It's a part of our culture we keep alive," he said.
After the grand entry, the dancers performed the round dance in which they moved around the drummers in a circular motion.
Bill Stopp, a Cherokee from Kansas City, Mo., who led the grand entry, said the round dance was a symbolic welcoming dance.
"Years ago when the warriors would go out to battle, the ladies would have a round dance to welcome everyone back," he said. "Today, it's being used to welcome everyone here."
Lori Hauxwell, Lame Deer, Mont., freshman and member of the Native American Student Association, said she grew up on an Indian reservation and had been to many powwows.
Jay Jackson, Flandreau, S.D., senior and president of the Native American Student Association, said the powwow was a success for the organization.
"It's so people can get together, dance together and visit together," she said. "Everyone can be together in a positive wav."
Story by Denise Neil Photos by Martin Altstaedten
"The turnout is good," he said. "We had enough food to feed everyone, and people got their bellies full of hospitality and fellowship. I noticed that a lot of non-Indians were here, so we were big enough to bring out the community."
Above: In gourd dances, only the southern drum sings war songs for the gourd dancers. After the grand entry, the singing goes back and forth between the northern and the southern drum for the rest of the powwow. Top right: Walter Ahlahitya, a dancer from the Kiowa Comanche tribe from Los Angeles and a student at Haskell Indian Nations University, dresses for the grand entry. Bottom right: Ken Powlas, Overland Park resident, has participated in powwow dances since he was 13 years old. He now is 69.
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