The Native American Contest Powwow

The Native American Contest Powwow introduces Cultural Tethering Theory to convey the importance of the contest powwow in the celebration and preservation of Native American culture. The book addresses the concepts of culture, cultural change, acculturation, assimilation, and illustrates how competitive powwows align with and differ from competitive sporting events. Authors Steven Aicinena and Sebahattin Ziyanak go on to explain how the modern intertribal contest powwow evolved and why modern Native American cultures are experiencing an erosion of traditional values, a rapid loss of traditional languages, dysfunctional changes in social organization, limited opportunity to transmit culturally valued knowledge, and reduced opportunities for youths to observe culturally appropriate behavior. The authors also examine Native American identity and explore who can legitimately claim to be a Native American under current laws and customs. Additional topics addressed include blood quantum, cultural knowledge, cultural participation, being Indian, and playing Indian. Finally, the authors describe the difference between being Native American and playing Indian in powwow and pseudo-cultural powwow environments.

Colloquially the term “powwow” refers to a meeting where important matters will be discussed. However, at the thousands of Native American intertribal dances that occur every year throughout the United States and Canada, a powwow means something else altogether. Sometimes lasting up to a week, these social gatherings are a sacred tradition central to Native American spirituality. Attendees dance, drum, sing, eat, re-establish family ties, and make new friends. In this compelling interdisciplinary work, Ann Axtmann examines powwows as practiced primarily along the Atlantic coastline, from New Jersey to New England. She offers an introduction to the many complexities of the tradition and explores the history of powwow performance, the variety of their setups, the dances themselves, and the phenomenon of “playing Indian.” Ultimately, Axtmann seeks to understand how the dancers express and embody power through their moving bodies and what the dances signify for the communities in which they are performed.

Duane Champagne has assembled a volume of top scholarship reflecting the complexity and diversity of Native American cultural life. Introductions to each topical section provide background and integrated analyses of the issues at hand. The informative and critical studies that follow offer experiences and perspectives from a variety of Native settings. Topics include identity, gender, the powwow, mass media, health and environmental issues. This book and its companion volume, Contemporary Native American Political Issues, edited by Troy R. Johnson, are ideal teaching tools for instructors in Native American studies, ethnic studies, and anthropology, and important resources for anyone working in or with Native communities.

This book is a one-stop reference resource for the vast variety of musical expressions of the First Peoples' cultures of North America, both past and present. Encyclopedia of Native American Music of North America documents the surprisingly varied musical practices among North America's First Peoples, both historically and in the modern context. It supplies a detailed yet accessible and approachable overview of the substantial contributions and influence of First Peoples that can be appreciated by both native and nonnative audiences, regardless of their familiarity with musical theory. The entries address how ethnomusicologists with Native American heritage are revolutionizing approaches to the discipline, and showcase how musicians with First Peoples' heritage are influencing modern musical forms including native flute, orchestral string playing, gospel, and hip hop. The work represents a much-needed academic study of First Peoples' musical cultures—a subject that is of growing interest to Native Americans as well as nonnative students and readers.

A state-by-state (and Canada too!) tour of monuments, events, sites, and festivals of Indigenous American history From ancient rock drawings, historic sites, and modern museums to eco- and cultural tourism, sports events and powwows, the Native American Landmarks and Festivals: A Traveler’s Guide to Indigenous United States and Canada provides a fascinating tour of the rich heritage of Indigenous people across the continent. Whether it’s the annual All Indian Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, a dog-sledding trek in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, or a rough ride to the ancient Kaunolu Village Site on Lanai, Hawaii, there is lots more to experience in the Indigenous world right around the corner, including ... The Montezuma Castle National Monument Trail of Tears National Historic Trail The Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City The Autry Museum of the American West The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center The Thunderbird Powwow The First Nations Film and Video Festival in various cities and states The Angel Mounds State Memorial The Harvest Moon American Indian Festival The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Canada’s National Aboriginal Veterans Monument And hundreds more! Native American Landmarks and Festivals guides the traveler to 729 landmarks, sites, festivals, and events in all 50 states and Canada. Travelers not only read about the history and traditions for each site, but maps, photos, illustrations, addresses and websites are also included to help further exploration. This book lets the reader choose from a vast array of “authentic” adventures such as dog sledding, camping in a tip, hunting and fishing expeditions, researching the history with the people who made the history, making crafts, herbal walks, building and sailing in canoes, hiking along ancient routes, exploring rock art, and preparing and eating Native foods. Organized by region, Indigenous enterprises are included in state and federal parks, including federal and international heritage sites, public and private museums and non-Native events that include Indigenous voice. This convenient reference also has a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. Whether traveling by car, plane, or armchair, Native American Landmarks and Festivals: A Traveler’s Guide to Indigenous United States and Canada will bring hours of enjoyable discovery.

Both glamorous and scandalous, the Native American casino and gaming industry has attracted the American public's attention to life on reservations to an unprecedented degree. At the same time, other tribal public venues, such as museums and powwows, have gained in popularity among non-Native audiences and become sites of education and performance. With the visibility, money, and political access gained through these reservation-owned businesses and cultural centers, individual tribes have taken great strides in redefining their public images to off-reservation audiences. In Public Native America, Mary Lawlor explores the process of tribal self-definition. Focusing on architectural and interior designs, as well as performance styles, she reveals how a complex and often surprising cultural dynamic is created when Native Americans create lavish displays for the public's participation and consumption. At first glance, the use of ostentatious and stylized decor, especially in gambling establishments, is puzzling.

This anthology examines the origins, meanings, and enduring power of the powwow. Held on and off reservations, in rural and urban settings, powwows are an important vehicle for Native peoples to gather regularly. Although sometimes a paradoxical combination of both tribal and intertribal identities, they are a medium by which many groups maintain important practices.

"Textbook for undergrad general education and dance courses on the topic of dance around the world. It serves as a gateway into studying world cultures through dance"--