Happy New 2010 Year!

[Alelou]

JibJab's New Year Greeting
http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/n ... ar_like_09

[Linda]

Okay, finally got my New Year's pow wow photos together. The New Year's Eve Sobriety Pow Wow is for families that want to bring in the new year without alcohol. My daughter and I run a raffle to help support this event. These photos were taken in the process of setting up the raffle tables. The taller dark haired girl is Gianna, a friend of my granddaughter Skyelar (the reddish blond head). Shayla, my youngest granddaughter is the shortest girl and is in her pow wow dance outfit. The teenagers are sitting in the back of a couple of the photos. My daughter is sitting at the table in one photo. The teenagers disappeared out to my van and played music on the CD player which drained the battery so we had to get a jump before we could go home at 1:30 am! We were the last people out of State Fair Park because we had to call my daughter's brother-in-law to bring his jumper cables, as after packing up, we were the last people there. Great way to begin the new year, right?

[justTripn]

I wish you had a close up of the first costumed dancer in line. Wow!

[Asso]

Beautiful pics, Linda.
And they are also "particular."

[Linda]

The guy with the two bustles, JT? He is a male fancy dancer. I will take some photos of the guys' outfits at the pow wow in March, not just family ones as I usually do! If I look back at old pow wow photos, I just might have one of him. The community is not that big, so you get to recognize almost everybody even if you don't know them.

There was one guy from the pow wow at the university last fall who had real naturally Vulcan looking eyebrows and black hair, but his ears were covered. I have been looking for him to photograph if I see him again as he had a great outfit too.

[Silverbullet]

Linda, there is going to bea big festival here in Casa Grande coming week. Parade, rodeo, softball, etc. A hall where Indian Crafts are sold. Also Dance exhibitions. They have Aztec Dancers which is interesting. We usualy go but cannot afford any of the crafts. Damn nice though. Since I have a problem getting around these days need a wheel chair often and in a crowded Hall that is a pain.

Silverbullet

[Linda]

Well, Silverbullet, I hope you get out to see some pow wows in you area once in a while. They are fun. The New Years Eve pow wow here has only about 300 - 400 people, so it is not that crowded. There are even a couple of people in wheel chairs attending. One is a Viet Nam veteran who has some health issues due to agent orange. They really honor veterans at pow wows. There is a song for veterans right after grand entry. And the veterans who can still walk carry the flags in for grand entry. I think at least once, one of the veterans carrying a flag was in a wheel chair. The grand entry is very dignified and everyone who is not dancing, stands in respect. As I probably said before, the American ethnic group with the highest percentage of their population serving in the military is Native Americans.

[Aikiweezie]

Thanks, Linda! I always enjoy your Pow Wow pics.

[Silverbullet]

Linda, there a number of Festivals here in Arizona at this time. The one I was speaking of is the O'Odham Tash. Native americans from all over the U.S. and Canada come herre for it.

Also, the Hoop dancing championship is held right now. Defending champion is Brian Hammil, he is of the Ho chunk Nation of Wisconsin. Dances from the U.S. and Canada. Very atheletic and the Dancer try to make different images with the Hoops.

Don't know ow intersted you are in these things. but her in Arizona there is a history going back thousands of years.

[Linda]

Don't know if I would ever make it out to Arizona for that festival. My grandson would love to learn hoop dancing. It seems to run in families and his great-grandfather did that on the Bad River Reservation. Unfortunately Dylan's great-grandfather died before his mother was even born and we have not found another teacher for Dylan. So Dylan just does his grass dancer thing. But he is largely self taught in Hawaiin fire spinning ( I know, different culture) and is very good at that. I had put up a link before to that somewhere on this site. Here it is again, the second link is the best one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7GPGmrUzdY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzWpDqI8w9w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAPYC9fljWE

[Silverbullet]

Dinah, apparently there are Hoop Dancers all over the U.S. It may be there is someone in your area who can teach him Hoop Dancing.

There is a Dance that is a tad dangerous: Snake Dancing. the Danceer has a live Rattle Snake in his mouth. A second dancer distracts the Snake with a feather while the Dance is going on. Snake is, of course, Poisonous.

wish you could get out to Arizona. Lots of Native Indian Lore out here. There ar apache, Hopi, Navajo and a few other Tribes located in the State.

[Linda]

I would love to explore the native cultures in every part of our country. But there is a lot to explore right here in Wisconsin - especially with my grandkids in Indian Community School, which helps keep our culture going. The Ojibwemoin (Chippewa) language of our tribal background, native spirituality, some great stories and legends, crafts, the knowledge of native Wisconsin plants. We don't want this to be lost.