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I put this in Indian Country Issues instead of Events because it is about discrimination and exclusion at a time when those of native heritage should be uniting into a single political force.
For the first time ever, the OBSN pulled the tribal race card. Nobody without a tribal card from a recognized tribe was allowed to dance. This turned away fully 80% of the dancers who normally dance at this powwow. 2 sets of former head dancers for this powwow were turned away. Many of those turned away have danced at this powwow since the tribe was just a group of colored people with a dream. I attended my first Eno-Ocaneechee powwow in downtown Hillsborough in 1987. The woman at the registration table who was so disrespectful to Becky and me (and many others) was in diapers in 1987.
While I accept a tribe’s right to make its own rules, I am greatly saddened by the way this was handled/mishandled.
That is unfortunate. By ‘recognized’ I’m taking it they don’t mean federally recognized. There couldn’t have been inter-tribal dances for everyone, and grand entry and competition dances for tribal members? It seems like a lost opportunity to include and educate people. Ending that tradition must have been especially disappointing for those who made a long trip expecting to dance.
Next year I’m planning to make the 13 hour drive to attend my first pow-wow in the VA/NC area. I’m hoping my family and I are generally accepted, but won’t be surprised if we aren’t. Yours is not the first story I have heard about experiences at area pow wows . Pow wow organizers saying things like ‘all these outsiders come to the pow wow thinking they can get enrolled’. I thought having outsiders come to a pow wow was part of the point.
It seems like a pattern a lot of groups go through. Working for years to get people together to try for recognition, than after achieving some level of recognition, starting to exclude people. Excluding people is a way to create an ‘us’ and ‘them’ and cement a group identity. It works. Still you can do the same thing by being inclusive abd understanding, and you have the added bonus of gaining people’s respect.
Dreaminghawk,
Unfortunately, Ive known this kind of thing happening a lot over this way in the US. Except they are from Fed recognized tribes….so I find it a little odd they would do this….
The ones that do it here, look for CDIB cards or same tribal card ID….what on earth were they doing? I personally would have flipped out my ID, Library card and any other card with my name on it since according to Fed recognized natives, that’s how good those Occaneechi cards are……..
But I digress, Im angry as well. I get so damned tired of people thinking they need to have federal recognition. All it does is fracture the people around you and the tribe as well as increase the greed.
There is no reason “Fed Petition” wise for them to have held a closed powwow, its simply greed, show of power and prejudice.
Im so sorry its happened to you Dreaminghawk. Things like this is what made me jaded. Try to keep your head up and ignore their stupidity.
~suthainn
Blessings,
I arrived in the afternoon and found that many of you, many of cousins I have been so fortunate to meet- had been turned away. It was heavy for me- and for many who were vending or just discussing it through the pow wow- trying to make sense of pain, fear, and loss, and anger.
We really need to work on Self-determination for a community, without that community being required to deny self-determination of others. By we- I mean everyone in the Cosmos! Labels are being wielded like weapons.
Many Prayers,
Akhasa
Hello brothers and sisters in this circle,
I have read comments by Dreaming and you and others. I was born and
raised in Los Angeles. My grandmother was from Attalla, Etowah county, AL. Both of her parents were part native americans.
I can trace my lines back to Cherokee nation in Walker county, GA and Randolph county, NC. Our native heritage is from our Anderson, Arnold, Wagoner, Cash, Matthews, James, and other lines from GA, SC, NC, TN and VA. I have a multi tribal heritage.
I have read all of your comments. I know that pow wow was really viewed as a medicine circle in the old days. It is sad to hear that there is lack of unity in many pow wows. I suggest that you form your own pow wow community. If others are curious, let them come to your community pow wow. Just my suggestion. If you have questions or wish to make comments, I can be reached by email here on this website.
Blessings,
Wendy May Cunningham
Northwest Country
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Akhasa;38919 wrote: Blessings,
I arrived in the afternoon and found that many of you, many of cousins I have been so fortunate to meet- had been turned away. It was heavy for me- and for many who were vending or just discussing it through the pow wow- trying to make sense of pain, fear, and loss, and anger.
We really need to work on Self-determination for a community, without that community being required to deny self-determination of others. By we- I mean everyone in the Cosmos! Labels are being wielded like weapons.
Many Prayers,
Akhasa
5th Annual Summer Solstice Pow Wow on unceeded Algonquin Territory.
Having a competition Pow Wow…
…and Inter-tribals…
…makes happy campers.
To Gray, We have our powwow community. Some 30 of those turned away were at my and Becky’s house today celebrating my Mother’s crossing over. (She would have been 89 today) ….. I just realized that it is after midnight as I write this. It is Sat, June 25 of which I speak.
We have a permanent dance circle in our yard and host several gatherings each year. Yesterday we had an excellent southern drum and most dancers were in regalia. Although they didn’t set up booths, we had 5 vendors in attendance.
Along with many others that we dearly love and call family, we all dance on the same powwow circuit and have become lifelong friends off the circuit. Nothing has changed except that we have all now removed that one powwow from our schedules.
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