Every year the local college sponsors a pow-wow (the college gives a number of scholarships to people from the reservation so that they can go to college with a bunch of rich kids). This year it was held in the hockey arena which was a great idea because it was extremely windy outside. Because it was a small informal event I focused in on the dance outfits (I wore a black dress, red scarf and my summer dance shawl).
The woman on the right is wearing a jingle dress, (traditionally the jingles are made out of chewing tobacco lids) so she was a serious competitor. I haven’t seen the chevron design on a ribbon skirt before, the other two ladies chose interesting fabric for their dance shirts.
What’s interesting in this group is the woman on the left in black and red. The wide belt is traditional for a woman’s outfit, but I’m not sure what style she had.
The woman in the middle has ribbon work (shaped ribbon designs) and not just plain rows of ribbons. She is there to compete (they do give out prize money).
These two were the head dancers so they were fully decked out in finery, I think that they automatically get some sort of remumeration.
These guys were my favorites after I saw them outside smoking cigarettes. So pow wow outfits can range from ordinary street clothes, to street clothes with some sort of Native logo to dance outfits. The guy with the hoodie over his dance outfit is a perfect blend of the traditional and modern and very chic. I love the outfits that reflect the individuals sense of style mixed with tradition. We carry the past into the future.
