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Thanks Gang!!
And especially my Brother Bill for posting the pix!!
This is the outfit of the Southern Straight Dance. It is a war dance and a typical war dance song lasts from 3 to 7 minutes.
It is a very dignified dance without all the manuevors and exhuberance shown in some of the other styles.
Most of the time the dancer is dancing straight up and during the Honor Beats of the Drum the dancer then crouches over moving from side to side as if they are tracking either game or the enemy pointing toward the ground with his dance stick.
There is no way I could be a Fancy Dancer or Grass Dancer with all the extreme movements they use.
The Traditional Dance is also less exhuberant and more dignified than the other styles, but takes many years to make an outfit due to getting enough feathers to make the bustles that's needed.
Most people think the Fancy Dance is a War Dance,but this style of dancing was orginated on the old 101 Ranch for tourists who expected to see a bunch of wild Indins hopping around goin wild.
The original war dances were slow and sad as all of the Indin people knew there was going to be deaths and severely wounded to mourn and care for.
When performed at powwows the dances are usually seperated into different styles for contest dancing like the Southern Straight Dance, The Traditional Dancers, The Fancy Dancers and last, BUT Certainly not least the Grass Dancers. When there are only a few contestants in each category or time is short the dances are sometimes combined. The same music is played for all the dances regardless of which style is being done.
This is the dance that the Osage perform at Inlonshka or the Dance of the Elder Brother. The Osage usually do thier ceremonial dancing at the time the allotments are given out. This isn't a powwow, but a true Ceremonial Dance. You either have to be a tribal member or invited to dance there. There is an end to the song and then certain chosen ones are designated to do the "Tail Dance" which is a continuation of the same song after all the non- indins think the song is over. It took me by surprise when I first got to see that done.
Anyone cannot go out and dance, even if your Indin. To do it properly you have to "buy your seat on the bench." That's done with a giveway and Ceremonially done. I "came out" on New Years Eve in 1994. A respected Elder took me around the Drum and told me some words of wisdom and then turned me over to my spokesman which is a Creek brother of mine. He introduced me to the people and helped me with my "giveaway." I put money, cigareetes and Pepsi on the Drum and then gave the Arena Director, the Master of Ceremonies and the Elder who took me around the Drum a blanket. I gave each of the Gourd Dancers a white handkerchief which is very traditional. Thier ladies all got a dishcloth which is also very traditional. At the end of all this it qualified me to dance all of the varied mens style of dances if I wish too.
I have wanted to dance since I was a young boy, but it costs a lot of money to be an Indin!!
Just for example the "roach" headress I am wearing cost me $225.00. The aprons or breechclout, trailer, leggings, bandoliers, hand woven drops and garters, and scarves
with the roach included cost me $1025.00
The leggings,etc. are made from 100% wool broadcloth which is hard to find in this color and as you can tell expensive!!
I am very thankful that I was able to make my own otter dragger", belt, deer toe leg rattles and other little items like the roach spreader and arm bands. Of course these materials had to be paid for as well. Now y'all know why I ain't been around much or buying any khukuris lately.
I won't be bringing my outfit with me to Reno due to the fact that we're flying out and won't trust the airlnes not to lose my baggage!!
Oh and Sandi there is a nice powwow coming up at Skiatook next weekend.
It looks to be a little cooler if the weather men are right and I am going to "dress out" and dance if it is. I ain't like these young pups who can get out and move like they do when it's 110*!!!
This is a free powwow!!
There is also the IICOT Powwow of Champions coming up the 2nd weekend of August. It will be in the Expo building at the Tulsa Fairgrounds.
I believe it's $4.00 a pop to get in there. This is the Indin Club we belong to and it's one of the best Powwows of the Year. One reason is that it's in an air conditioned building with a carpeted floor!!
Hey!! We like our creature comforts too!!!
The bad part is that us members have to pay as well.
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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
"There's no trick in being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you."
...............Will Rogers......
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