When I was in college I was chair of the school's native american club. I'm not realy sure how it happened, people just elected me as chair and chair i became. I was also chair of the pow-wow committee, even though I had only been to one pow-wow in my life. Funny how these things happen.

For those who have never been to a pow-wow: a pow-wow is a big dance conteest, usually for money, where people dress in "traditional" regalia and dance in a large arena. If it is a contest pow-wow there is judging and competition. If it's a social pow-wow it is usually smaller and less crazy. Most of the traditional stuff involved in pow-wow is based on plains indian culture.

I think every tribe in america has its own set of dances and clothing that is celebrated among those people. I know my tribe has an annual dance where we dress in our apache clothes and dance apache style. In new mexico the pueblos have their own feast days where they have dancing and food and fun. Pow-wows are the typical celebrations you would find in the plains states, Crow Fair in montana is a classic example. The problem with pow-wows is that the plains traditions are slowly replacing the local traditions because an indian can dance pow-wow style and actually make a little money, while dancing and dressing according to your own tribe won't really get you much more than the satisfaction that you are promoting your own tribal heritage. In fact, if I were to show up at my tribe's annual dance and ask to be judged and paid for my dancing I would be asked to leave. and not politely.

I used to be opposed to attending pow-wows. They are so steeped in plains traditions I felt like a foreigner among my own people. Even when I was the chair of the pow-wow committee I felt a little odd about the event, because I don't like being the person who promotes pan-indian events at the loss of local traditions. But now that I am so far from home and so far from my own people I am starting to understand what is good about the pow-wow. They bring indian people together, and allow us to practice our traditions and culture as a group. The spectators are on the outside of the pow-wow, but we are the cool kids. I can appreciate the dancings and the regalia and the adherence to tradition and still practice my own stuff just fine.

I just returned from a trip home. (can you tell?) It was great to be home and be among family. We went out to the plaza in Santa Fe for indian market and had a great time catching up with old friends. I think I even made a few new friends. It was nice to be in a place where people recognized me from when I was ten, or seventeen, or twenty seven. I have history there and I read it in the faces of my friends and family. We went to a concert on Saturday night where the majority of the audience was native. the music was native. it was incredible.

Then, the last night I was home my step-mom emailed my father to ask for a divorce. Why is it whenever I have a great time there has to be something major and potentially catastrophic occurring simultaneously? My wedding and my grandmother died. Honeymoon and sweets lost his grandmother. I go home and loose a step-mother. unlucky, i suppose.

this is a lot to talk about in one entry. thanks for hanging in there.