Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane - Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance

To the Eighth Fire, and to those who work to build understanding that will move us toward peace, harmony and healing.

American Indian Movement a group founded in 1968 in the United States to address issues like treaties and racism; between 1969 and 1971, the group led several important protests and occupations

Anishinaabe a group of tribal nations in Canada and the United States with similar languages and culture, including the Potawatomi, Algonquin, Odawa, Saulteaux and Ojibwe peoples

Anishinaabemowin the language of the Anishinaabe people

assimilation an important part of colonization that involved forcing Indigenous people to speak the settlers language and convert to their religion

Battle of the Little Bighorn the 1876 resistance of the Sioux peoples, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, to the United States governments efforts to confine them to reservations; the United States Armys 7th Cavalry Regiment was defeated and General George Custer was killed

bustle a circle of eagle feathers that men wear on their backs in the Traditional Dance

ceremonial dance a dance that is generally not done in public places like powwows but in longhouses, where ceremonial activities take place

colonization migration into new territory by a group of people who then take control of the people there and their lands by creating new ways of living and governing, as the European settlers did to Indigenous Peoples in North America

dance arbor the dance area at a powwow

Drum a group of three to twelve, or sometimes more, menand in some regions womenwho sing around a drum at powwows

Elders people who are respected for various reasons, such as their age, wisdom or cultural knowledge

emcee the master of ceremonies at a powwow

flag song a kind of national anthem for each tribal nation

giveaway an event that often takes place on the last day of a powwow, with gifts given to show appreciation to visitors, in memory of someone who has died or to welcome new powwow dancers, usually children

Indian Act a law that came into force in Canada in 1876, defining who was an Indian, where Indians could live and what they could and couldnt do

Indian agent an agent of the Canadian government whose job it was to oversee Indian reserves

Indian residential school school that Indigenous children were forced to attend in order to be educated in settler ways and assimilated; in the United States, many Indian children had to attend boarding schools run by governments for the same purpose

intertribal dance part of a powwow where everyone is welcome to dance

kinship system the web of relationships that connects people and defines their responsibilities to each other

knowledge keepers Indigenous people who have knowledge of, wisdom from and experience with the traditional cultural practices of their people

longhouse a building or structure where ceremonies are held; considered a sacred area

Mtis Indigenous people in Canada whose ancestors were French, Scottish and First Nations

Mino-bimaadiziwin an Anishinaabemowin term wishing someone a good lifenot in a material sense but in a holistic way, bringing together body, mind, spirit, family and community

pass system a way to control First Nations people, created by the Canadian government in 1885, by forcing them to stay within their reserves

Potlatch a ceremonial feast of great importance to tribal nations of the Pacific Northwest, banned by the Canadian government between 1884 and 1951

powwow etiquette the basic rules to follow and respect at a powwow

protocol a set of rules, restrictions and procedures to make sure certain practices are followed in the correct way

Red River Resistance an 1869 uprising in what is now Manitoba, sparked by the transfer of a vast area of land from the Hudsons Bay Company to the Canadian government

regalia in powwow culture, all the clothing, footwear and other special items that dancers wear

reservations small areas of land on which American Indians were forced to live by the government in the nineteenth century

reserves small areas of land on which First Nations were forced to live by the Canadian government in the nineteenth century

roach a headpiece made from stiff porcupine hairs, worn by men in the Traditional Dance

Sixties Scoop the Canadian governments practice in the 1960s of taking Indigenous children from their families and communities to be adopted or fostered by non-Indigenous families, rather than sending them to Indian residential schools

social dances dances at a powwow, like the Round Dance and the Rabbit Dance, that everyone is welcome to take part in

Sun Dance an important cultural ceremony among the tribal nations of the Plains, honoring the sun and individual bravery

victory songs songs sung at the beginning of a powwow and that often have deep spiritual and philosophical importance, sometimes because they were first sung after a major battle

Wild West show a show produced by Buffalo Bill Cody that traveled throughout North America and Europe between 1883 and 1913, featuring songs and dances of the vanishing Indian

Grass dancer Adam Nordwall (Chippewa) and his daughter, Traditional dancer Nicole Nordwall (Shoshone/Chippewa).

Brad Callihoo

resources

Chapter One

Print:

Gray Smith, Monique. Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2017.

Joseph, Bob. 21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality. Port Coquitlam, BC: Indigenous Relations Press, 2018.

Online:

BearPaw Media Productions. Understanding Aboriginal Identity. Video, 20:48. 2015. youtube.com/watch?v=IcSnbXmJ9V0

Lucitana, Donna. Buffalo Bill (Episode 4 of The Real Wild West). Video, 46:32. Greystone Communications/Arts and Entertainment Network, 1992. pbs.org.wgbh/americanexperience/films/cody

Oklahoma Historical Society, Film and Video Archives. American Indian Dances at Indian City USA. Video, 10:09. 1950s. youtube.com/watch?v=LRSBmdzQ99I

School District 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin, British Columbia). Canadian History and the Indian Residential School System. Video, 22:15. 2014. youtube.com/watch?v=6-28Z93hCOI

Williams, Alex. The Pass System. Tamarack Productions, 2015. thepasssystem.ca

Chapter Two

Online:

Elliott, Alicia. Celebration, Resilience and Food: What to Eat at a Powwow. theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/celebration-resilience-and-food-what-to-eat-at-apowwow/article35287067

Garlow, Nahnda. A Guide to Powwow Season in Canada. WestJet Magazine, June 2018. westjetmagazine.com/story/article/a-guide-to-powwow-season-in-canada

Miyo Pimatisiwin Productions. Pow Wow Xperience. Video, 10:12. Storyhive, 2018. youtube.com/watch?v=Kgm1HKPFzIc

Chapter Three

Print:

Pheasant, Karen. The Promise to the Nokomis: The Transfer of the Anishinaabe Kwe Dance to the Next Generation. Author, 2010.

Rendon, Marcie. Powwow Summer: A Family Celebrates the Circle of Life. St. Paul, mn : Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2013.

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Jingle Dancer. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books, 2000.

Online:

Pheasant, Karen. Its All in the Song.