Story by Lisa Robyn Lawrence
Photos by Allen Lawrence

A Proud and Traditional Gathering of Nations!

This weekend the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians hosted the 27th Annual Powwow and Native American Festival. Indian Nations from all over North America were represented. Every year the gathering of nations just gets better and better. In ancient times Powwows were held in the spring to celebrate new beginnings of life. It was also a time for Native Nations to gather and sing, dance and make new friendships, renew old ones and for young people to meet and court. Powwows also had religious purpose for families to hold namings and honoring ceremonies. Powwows also had social significance as it was a time to pass down oral histories and tell the children of the deeds of their fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers. The ceremony also was considered a prayer to the Great Spirit. A circle is the pervasive formation for the Powwow. The dancers are at the center of a circle with the drum circles around them and the audience in a larger circle around all of the festivities.
 

On Friday the festivities began with Bird Singers and dancers, to honor the bird totem spirits held sacred by our Cahuilla Indians. Legend has it that the “ancient ones” turned into birds and flew all around to discover where to live. When they returned they told their people that this valley was the place that they belonged. Bird Songs tell stories of tribal traditions. There are bird songs for work, for war, for games and for healing. Each song had a value and would only be taught or given to another as a special treasure or prize. These bird songs have been passed down from the elders to the younger generation orally generation after generation. The elders are very strict about accuracy when they teach this art of song and gesture.

The gestures are as important as the song and are not individualized. It takes many, many years to be able to sing the songs and do the gestures accurately. There originally were more than 300 Bird Songs but over time some have been lost and now only about 200 Bird Songs have survived. There are Bird Singers and Dancers all over North America in many of the tribes. Each has their own style in teaching the song so from region to region there may vary slightly only in the singing style of the elder and how they were taught the song, the story always remains the same. The Bird Singers especially enjoy coming to Cahuilla Powwow’s and being honored by the Cahuilla Indians at these gatherings.

The Grand Entry is an indescribable feast for the eyes of color, sound, movement and culturally rich beauty. All of the participants are dressed in a regalia of their own design. Dancers of all decades of life from the Golden Years to the young toddlers participate. Colors, fabrics and adornments are all very individual and selected for personal and ceremonial reasons. Thus each regalia (to be proper they are not referred to as costumes) is quite unique and has a beauty that is enhanced by the spirit of the person wearing it. The Grand Entry is a chance for dance contestants to show off their style and their regalia.

Encircling the dance floor are Drum Circles each include singers who sit around a large drum, sing and strike the drum together. Each drum circle represents a tribe or clan and competes just like the dancers do. Awards are given for many categories and the prizes are pretty high so there is much competition.

There are two categories of competitions for Bird Singers and Dancers, the Men’s Dances which include: Traditional Dance, Grass Dance and Fancy Dance, and the Women’s Dances which include: Traditional Dance, Fancy Shawl Dance and Jingle Dress Dance.

There is even a part of the Powwow where not only do the competition participants dance, but when an inter-Tribal dance is announced anyone who wants may get up and enter into the circle and dance with the contestants. It is true that there are no spectators at a powwow. Everyone participates and celebrates.

Every gathering and celebration has it’s feast component so don’t miss the FOOD. Indian fry bread is a fluffy puffy deep fried flat bread used as a base for cooked meat dishes or as a dessert powdered with sugar. Either way fry bread should not to be missed. There are also artisans who display their wares, wooden creations and boxes, silver and turquoise as well as other semi-precious stone jewelry abounds, beaded dream catchers, beaded hair clips, beaded necklaces and even beaded key-chains each so beautifully made. Satiny, highly polished wooden flutes, rattles made of animal skins and shell, beautiful colorful shawls...well you get the picture. Lots of fun to shop for the unique and hand made special gifts for special people.

Pow Wow’s are a great family type of event that appeal to all generations.