An Indian Summer Pow-Pow - an Indian’s view of other Indians

War cries and war drums and many 
an Indian princess dancing!

If you are in Indian country, like the Great Lakes area, and go home without seeing fellow Indians, I mean the native Americans, not the 'desis' (the Indian name for Indian Indians, if you get what i mean), it’s most  disappointing. The world of the Native American has gone through many changes, generally bad. During my trip to Indian Territory of Bayfield and Knife River, way up north on Lake Superior near the Canadian border, we had not seen any Ojibwa or other native Indians. The locals wanted us to go to the reservations or casinos and that was not a happy thought. So, as I got a chance to attend a genuine ‘Red’ or native Indian festival at Milwaukee, I wasn’t going to miss it.  

The primary sponsor of the three day mega fest is the Potawatomi Casino. Since the last decade, casinos have earned huge revenue for Indian tribes as only they can operate casinos on reservations.

          

The Festival Park is around the corner from the famed Milwaukee Art Museum with the new Quadracci Pavilion, the first Santiago Calavatra designed building in the USA - a giant boat shaped structure featuring a glass walled hall enclosed by a sunscreen that can be raised or lowered creating a uniquely moving vast sculpture which increases gallery space by 30% on the lake front. Ample car parking for the thousands of cars - nearer the venue, higher the parking fee. 

The Park is a huge rectangular area with three main pavilions seating a few hundred spectators. Interspersed in-between are spaces for sale of artifacts / handicrafts / educational stalls, and lets not forget Food; being Wisconsin, local cheese, milk and dairy products are served in humongous large quantities as it’s the dairy capital of the USA. People may be ‘concerned’ about weight but seeing the locals eat, I was sure that was far from their thoughts.

The 6” tall cup of ‘Turtle Delight’ ice-cream was full of chocolate, cream, pecan nuts, flavourings and other delights. God knows how many calories ! I saw wafers with cheese dripping sold by the large 12” bowlful. There is no Ferne Branca or any other brand of digestive on sale!    

Advertised as the largest annual American Indian festival in the country, competition pow-pow’s, fireworks, Indian dance troupes, tribal village, cultural demonstrations, storytellers, juried fine arts, American Indian traditional and contemporary entertainers, authentic foods and more authentic handicrafts were promised and, to our delight, delivered to the huge audience. There were large crowds – families and young couples, of all races and colours.

Most of them were middle class and interested in the music, the crafts and the dances. Many of them asked serious questions of the stall holders. Other tribes were invited  - 

Aztec dancers originally from Mexico but now from Madison, resplendent in their colourful dress and long ostrich feathers performed and captivated the large crowd with their vigorous dances which included a Fire Dance where young men put their feet in a bowl of fire! In a small arena surrounded by stalls selling clothes, silverware, pottery and usual knick-knacks, the Ecuador Manta, a group of five musicians played soulful music on pan pipes, flutes and guitars. An elderly man was pulled onto the ‘dance’ floor by a young lady and they happily danced, each to his own rhythm in their own world oblivious of others around.

Suddenly I saw an Indian in full regalia – he looked exactly like Chief Sitting Bull or Hiawatha must have years ago. We followed him to what turned out to be the most popular feature of the Fest. At a large pavilion, Indians in native dress, (as the announcer said “please leave your Wal-Mart clothes behind and wear your traditional clothes”) were taking part in dance competitions. The Native American Indians stood out because many had facial paint and wore colourful dress.

This was really cool as it was competition time with judges and prize money worth over $ 50,000. I just went round taking pictures and recording sounds of the war cries. It was awesome; the dancers in full regalia, wearing feathered head gear, buckskin clothes with bead ornaments.

 

Many awaited their turn with their families and friends. Groups danced to the sound of thunderous tribal drums.

The drum itself is around 2 ½ ft in diameter; ten well built men [in my view rather overweight due to their fast food diet] whacked the drum simultaneously. One at a time they took up the war cry whilst the others echoed it. The shrill war dance cry goes round their circle.….

 it brought alive childhood tales of scary Red Indians on horseback attacking a corral of settlers’ wagons. The women and girls danced more gently, occasionally individually, as if floating in airy circles.Throughout the day, various dance competitions were held allowing people of all ages to take part. 

I felt really happy that at last these proud people were being acknowledged and they themselves were feeling pride in their heritage and history. This was an emotionally satisfying day for me as after many years, I had finally interacted with the same Indian tribes whom I had studied at Cambridge for my Anthropology degree. Pat McAllister, an Echota Cherokee artist from Arkansas, told me “when overwhelmed, our people have always been able to reach inside themselves for dignity, pride and inner strength”.

 

The Mohican Indians from Stockbridge had a very interesting display about their tribal history and how they moved from the River Hudson / New York area to the Great Lakes. The most important aspect of the Pow-pow was the importance given to education – the past and the future. Traditional skills were demonstrated by different groups..antler carving, fire making, finger weaving, basket weaving and sculpting were some of the crafts. At the Indian village, using traditional methods and materials, wigwams and long houses of the Woodland Indians were set up. Tepees gave glimpses of the Plains culture. A rustic encampment captured the daily life of traders and settlers interacting with Indians. True to tradition, the Natural Path area exhibited a wide range of natural and organic herbs and oils along with freshly brewed coffees and teas. The Eagle’s Nest Stage featured traditional story telling and singers. We heard a lively band of young musicians where four members of one family played string and reed instruments and a young hoop dancer  enthralled us with her most unusual dance using multiple hoops.    

The Circle of Fine Art stalls featured many leading Indian artists – paintings, sculpture, hand crafted flutes, pottery, fine buckskin clothing, metalwork, beadwork and the only artist in the world who crafts amazing baskets weaving deer antlers with different materials to create mind blowingly beautiful artefacts. Expensive but unique.

Another artist, Dan Townsend, a Creek Cherokee artist for over 25 years has recreated an art form which nearly died out – carving ancient Southeastern designs and symbols on shell. His designs are based on artifacts from burial goods, ornaments and ceremonial objects. He displayed his work at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. His carved ‘gorgets’ or pendants are used in American Indian ceremonies as well as displayed worldwide in museums. He replicates natural beauty of turtles, dolphins, dragonflies, and sea horses in his work which in size varies from a minute earring to a large pendant. Majority of items on sale were pendants in different hues and designs showing the sacred fire at the central core surrounded by four warriors guarding it. 

An interesting learning for me was that many stall holders work out of their homes, earning their livelihood by going to similar events throughout the summer. They tour a large area; go to two or three events per week back-to-back for six to eight months. In winter, business slows down to around four events a month. That’s when they create artworks or order for the season ahead.  

This Festival is also used to create awareness on health issues: a two mile run to support autism research and the Pink Shawl project to raise awareness amongst Indian women about breast cancer. Survivors are honored with a Pink shawl. Dream-the-Cure Dream Catchers were on sale everywhere. Dream Catchers are circular rings woven with a web and with a few feathers hanging; in different sizes – it is believed that each carefully woven web will catch your dreams in the night. The bad spirit dreams will get caught in the web and disappear with the morning sun. However, the good spirit dreams will find their way to the centre spirit hole and will float down the sacred feather. True or false, we bought a few for our dreams to be realized.

The Indian Festival moves each year to different cities and has gathered considerable momentum of its own due to the Casino sponsorship and support from their own People. However a lot needs to be done through education and self employment schemes before the Indians themselves regain their self respect as in times past. One can only hope for the best and dream for a better future for them. 

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