The Baraga Pow Wow started last night.
Hundreds of folks gathered to listen to the Native American drums, to dance in the arena, to pray, to socialize, to gather together as families, tribes or nations.
Have you ever heard the drum beat and the call of the singers? If you have, it stays with you forever. The eerie cry in Ojibway (or whatever language your Pow Wow brings) wakes up something deep inside of us. Something which has been sleeping, or missing, or gone. You can hear the drum beat and suddenly you’re carried back to some ancient memory of the land, of another time, of another language which beats deeper than any words or syllables.
Eyyy-Eee! The singers shrill and the Manido looks down from the sky and shrills back its eagle cry. You stand quivering by the Pow Wow arena, wanting to dance, longing to dance, and when the announcer says, “Inter-tribal!” you can enter the arena and your feet hit the soil like the drum beat. Up and down you pound the drum of the earth, around and around. If you dare.
I have a long history with the Native Americans, the Anishnabe, here in this area. ‘Way back in 1987 I heard the drumbeat for the first time, and it awakened slumbering embers within. Back in 1988, I danced in this arena, feeling the wind in my hair, returning to a Time before my conscious mind was born. For about seven years I attended ceremonies and lodges with these people.
Every year, now, I return to give thanks to that which has helped me to awaken deeper to who I am. It’s a time of deep appreciation, gratitude and honor.
It was hard to come this year, with a camera, and take photos. Very hard. My native friend, Denise, had to hold my hand and go ask the people permission for me to take a photo. Don’t know why it was so hard. Some people believe that when you take a photograph, your spirit can be stolen in that photo. There’s all sorts of etiquette and protocol involved. I didn’t want to be stealing any spirits, or to be disrespectful in any way.
So Denise took charge.
It really wasn’t hard. No one said “no”. My main source of irritation (don’t really want to go into this right now, but here’s the gist) is that my camera’s zoom has gone kaput. OH NO! This may involve the purchase of a new camera, and after buying a laptop computer this week…that’s financially challenging, to say the least. Thank goodness for the “crop” feature on the computer. Otherwise, you’d simply be viewing dots on the horizon, which may have barely resembled humans.
Today it was fun to spend time talking with friends, listening to the drum, watching the people in their multi-colored regalia. You can eat fry bread or wild rice soup or an Indian Pizza. (I bought Denise one after she so kindly asked folks to pose for photographs.)
There’s more photos to show you (and tomorrow’s outdoor adventure may involve the Pow Wow again) so stay tuned until tomorrow for more pictures. Hopefully everyone will have the opportunity to attend a Pow Wow at some time. Stand very silently and let the drum beat mirror the beat of your heart. Something very precious may awaken with you.
Shhh! Can you hear the drums now, out the window, down the road? They’re calling for you…
14 comments
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July 25, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Gerry
Oh, Kathy, you did such a good job! My favorite is the shawl dancers. No, wait, Grand Entry. No, wait . . .
Oh, my. I can smell the sweetgrass. Megwitch. Chi megwitch.
July 26, 2009 at 7:19 am
centria
You know, Gerry, what I smelled last night before drifting off to sleep? Sage. Really strong whiffs of sage. Can almost smell that sage again this morning… Really want to go over there one more time today, but it’s raining right now. I am still delighted with the thought that you were here at the Pow Wow back in the 90’s. Truly.
July 26, 2009 at 5:46 am
Emma
I would have loved to have been there. Thanks for sharing this!
July 26, 2009 at 7:22 am
centria
Emma, if you were there we could have both bought a bowl of wild rice soup (and perhaps you might have liked some fry bread) and we could have wandered through the little shops looking at Native American crafts and you could have advised me which necklace or earrings to buy my daughter who wants something (and I am failing terribly at finding anything!) Then we could have stood and let the beat of the drum move deep through us, watching the colorful dancers, noticing the dark rain clouds move in overhead from the north. Then we would have scampered to the car getting very very wet as the rain drenched everything and fancy-dressed native dancers grabbed umbrellas. By the time we got home the sun would be shining again and we’d be picking garden spinach…Hey I better stop writing to you. this might be tonight’s blog!!
July 26, 2009 at 6:19 am
flandrumhill
What beautiful colors! Why don’t we dress like that? We are sooo dull.
And look at those tall trees! What a beautiful setting.
My middle son wanted to be a native when he was a boy. I remember him crying when I told him you had to be born native. In his last year of high school he spent some time in a student exchange program with the Ojibway on Manitoulin Island and absolutely loved it. My oldest son has experienced the mysteries of a sweat lodge in northern Saskatchewan.
Can your zoom lens be fixed in some way? I don’t have one on my digital camera and have to either get really close or spend the time cropping. Technical difficulties!
July 26, 2009 at 7:27 am
centria
Amy, ’tis a beautiful setting there in Baraga beneath tall shading pines that grow up to the sky. When our blond blue-eyed daughter was born she had dark black hair that stuck straight up and a red face. I thought for a moment…hey, what happened here? Did I give birth to a native child? But soon her hair grew in blond and she definitely was not native. My grandma’s grandma was a native from the New York Finger Lakes area. Of course we have at least another ten nationalities added in, as well.
The sweat lodge is an amazing experience…truly amazing.
As for the zoom lens being fixed, dunno. Thinking it might cost as much to have it fixed as to buy another one. I am glad to hear that you are surviving without a zoom lens. It could be done. After all, the photos did turn out OK yesterday. Just no more creatures-from-space mushrooms that are a half inch tall, like a couple days ago. Like you say… Technical difficulties!!
July 26, 2009 at 9:47 am
Cindy Lou
Hey Kathy….do you still go to the powwow and the elder’s teachings? I remember when the girls were young, you camped there?!? I think…the memory’s going with age. One of my graduates is a drummer now and did his Senior Project on the drum and singing – the drum is considered the heartbeat of the earth – I always found that such a wondermous thing and it truly does feel like the earth is singing to you. Beautiful pictures – thank your friend, Denise, too.
July 26, 2009 at 1:50 pm
centria
Cindy, I haven’t gone to the elder’s teachings in years, probably not since the ’90s. And yes, in the “old” days I used to put up a tent down there and camp for the weekend. That was so relaxing; such a beautiful experience. That is really neat that your graduate did his Senior Project on the drum. And that he could connect so deeply with his culture. Will be posting some more Pow Wow pics tonight.
July 26, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Nicole
wonderful pictures Kathy! what vivid colours, beautiful experience
July 27, 2009 at 9:57 am
centria
Nicole! I’m excited! I found your comment. It had inadvertently found its way into the “spam” place but it was rescued and now you’re here and I am delighted. Thanks for stopping by and liking this. 🙂
December 19, 2009 at 7:39 pm
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May 30, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Diania Smith
Please let me know when the 2010 Baraga Pow Wow is scheduled.
Thank You
May 30, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Kathy
Diania, the Baraga Pow Wow will be July 23-25. Hope you can come!
July 26, 2010 at 11:24 am
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