|
|
Musings of a Senior Scribe
An Indiana
Indian Pow-Wow
By Mona Lease
Hi, all! For those of you who REELY know me - you'll know that Boredom
is my constant companion. Saturday 10/13 found me headed for
Winchester, Indiana's SilverTowne.
I passed a sign half a block before that read - "All Nations Pow-Wow."
My "antenna" was up and scanning - Flags, tepees, campfires - Yup -
this "will work."
With my business concluded, I went to the Pow-Wow. As I entered the
grounds I heard - "Ya.ya, way ohh-oh way." People were dancing to the
rhythmic drum beats - elders, parents, and kiddies were dancing and
smiling. There's a special lobe of my brain that taps into the whole
"aura" of this. I found myself swaying as I watched the dancers and
drummers. Of the "All Nations" represented, I personally met White,
Cree, Navajo, and Miami.
I was introduced to Ron who acted as my guide. He is of the Cree Nation
- some 200,000 strong across North America. By trade he is a
Flintnapper. He fashions arrowheads, knives, and carvings of stone and
wood (animals and birds). He uses the Hand Percussion method - a
tradition handed down from Father to Son for some 200 plus years now.
There are no electric tools to this. Some believe you can "hear and
feel" how the stone or wood is going to respond to the tools, which
tells you which direction to carve to retain strength for tools... kind
of like cutting down a tree. Where the tree is strongest, will force
the "fall in the opposite direction. Others believe that the Great
Spirit guides the hands and the stone or wood, to form a perfect piece.
Frankie "Eagle" Snyder, Jr. is the Firekeeper. He keeps the Council
Fire burning for the entire Pow-Wow - from the time the first person
gets there (usually him) until the last person leaves - the Fire burns.
This is a Native Church. In front of the Fire stand four bowls. Water
symbolizes the Mother. Without her, nothing would be born or nourished.
Sweet Grass smells like vanilla and encourages calm and happy thoughts
(remember smelling Grandma's homemade sugar cookies? Vanilla was half
of the flavor and aroma). Tobacco is a healer (not smoked). Around
here, the "old-timers" used cigar butts (fat Swisher Sweets) to rid
dogs of worms. This was "given" orally. Sage is for purification. It is
also one of the most powerful antiviral and antibacterial plants -
along with Clary Sage (a more potent form. I use the oils of these).
This "alter", if you will, is open the entire time for anyone who wants
to be married, named and morning prayers. It is also open for tribal
business, counsel meetings, or to make peace between tribes at odds. In
this case, there would be 11 bowls. He did not divulge the contents, I
did not ask. It is said the Fire is Grandfather watching over his loved
ones. He is never "put out" - he dies naturally or goes to sleep.
LeRoy Maleterre is the Arena Director. The purpose of the Pow-Wow is
for ALL to come together to show respect for Mother Earth and her
continued gifts of water, food, and shelter. They dance to honor each
other, our Pow's and MIA's, all armed forces, to socialize and
fellowship with shared food and wisdom.
The "Ya - ya - way - ohh - oh - way" was translated for me by a
drummer. It is a Miami Nation song. It is a call to the Creator to give
thanks and honor.
And, I saved this for last because this says it all!! The Grahams -
Arthur & Jamie - are from Hawaii and Arizona respectively. He told
me about his Grandfather navigating the Pacific with a turtle shell. I
looked at one on the computer. If you get one with a center line down
the back, that could really work. You have the longitude and latitude
between the "bumps." Point the center line or meridian, at the North
Star and you'd be set.
Jamie told me her Grandfather was a "Codetalker" in WWII. She shared
that he told her that we all need to get along and stop the foolishness
of the petty bickering. We all laugh and cry. And - we all bleed red.
Remember the kiddies and our service people. Be good to the furry and
feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next time. Ever
Toodles!! MONA.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
