Mother’s Day Pow Wow

This blog was written by Laci Munger, a first-year Marine and Environmental Science major.

Throughout our time with the Mennonite Disaster Service members (MDS) and living in the Red Lake Reservation, we continue to learn about the unique culture of the Ojibwe. On Saturday evening, we had the opportunity to attend an annual Mother’s Day Pow Wow in White Earth Nation, observing and experiencing the dancing and singing central to Ojibwe culture and tradition. We were fascinated to see the different clothing, dances, drumming, and singing. The scene was bright and colorful, each regalia (traditional sacred clothing) was uniquely made by that special dancer. The regalia consisted of feathers, beads, metal cones, and even turtle shells. In our conversations with other attendees and dancers at the Pow Wow, we learned that people will run up and throw money at their favorite dancer. They also told us that pieces on their regalia are often gifted to the dancer, or handed down through their family. These pieces are very beautiful, reflecting both their interests and family background. As soon as we entered the foyer of the Shooting Star Casino, where the Pow Wow was held, there were vendors lining the hallways with tables full of handmade jewelry, stones, blankets, tshirts, feathers, and many other items. After winding through the vendors, we entered the grand events room with chairs that circled the open area for dancing and competitions in the middle of the space. We immediately heard the sound of drums, metal cones on clothing, and talking. After sevearl hours of open dance, the dancing competitions began. The competitors were judged on their outfits, their movements in relations to the timing of the drum, and their foot movements. The panel of judges then chose a winner in each age group and in each dance, including the traditional, grass, fancy, and jingle dances. The competitors ranged from 6 years to over 70. The crowd was loud and full of people coming on and off the dance floor and we could tell how passionate people were about the Pow Wow. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and words cannot express how it felt to be a small part of such a powerful community event.