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About Pow Wow
A pow wow is normally set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a circle consisting of the MC's table, drum groups and sitting areas for dancers and their families. At outdoor pow wows, this circle is often covered by either a committee built arbor or each group will provide their own sun shade. Beyond these two circles is often an area for spectators, while outside of all are several rings of vendor's booths, where one can buy supplies, food, or arts and crafts.
A pow wow is normally set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a circle consisting of the MC's table, drum groups and sitting areas for dancers and their families. At outdoor pow wows, this circle is often covered by either a committee built arbor or each group will provide their own sun shade. Beyond these two circles is often an area for spectators, while outside of all are several rings of vendor's booths, where one can buy supplies, food, or arts and crafts.
The master of ceremonies, or MC, is the voice of the pow wow. It is his job to keep the singers, dancers and general public informed as to what is happening. The MC sets the schedule of events and maintains the drum rotation (or order of when each drum group gets to sing). The MC is also responsible for filling any dead air time that may occur during the pow wow—often with jokes. The MC often runs any raffles or other contests that may happen during the pow wow, too.
Grand Entry
A pow wow session begins with the Grand Entry, during which all the dancers line up by dance style and age. They then enter the arena while the host drum sings a special song. Normally, the first in are veterans carrying flags and eagle staffs, followed by the head dancers, then the dancers follow in a specific order: Men's Traditional, Men's Grass Dance, Men's Fancy, Women's Traditional, Women's Jingle and Women's Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order. Following the Grand Entry, the MC will invite a respected member of the community to give an invocation. The host drum that did not sing the Grand Entry song will then sing a Flag Song, followed by a Victory or Veterans' Song, during which the flags and staffs are posted at the MC's table.
The Dances
Many of the various types of dances performed at a pow wow are descended from the dances of the Plains tribes of Canada and the United States. Besides those for the opening and closing of a pow wow session, the most common is the intertribal, where a drum will sing a song and anyone who wants to can come and dance. Similar dances are the trot dance, called a crow hop when performed by a northern drum or a horse stealing song by a southern drum, and the round dance or side step. Each of these songs have a different step to be used during them, but are open for dancers of any style.
In addition to the open dances, contest dances for a particular style and age group are often held with the top winners receiving a cash prize. To compete in a contest the dancer must be dressed in Regalia appropriate for the competition.
Normal intertribal dancing is an individual activity, but there are also couples and group dances. Couples dances include the two step—each couple follows the lead of the head dancers, forming a line behind them.
The Drums
The Host Drum of the pow wow is a drum group responsible for providing music for the dancers. At an intertribal pow wow generally two or more drums are hired to be the host drums, often a Host Northern Drum and a Host Southern Drum. Each drum has a Lead Singer who runs his drum and leads his singers while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, and a Veterans' or Victory Song to start the pow wow and a flag song, retreat song and closing song to end the pow wow. Additionally, if a pow wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing special songs during the pow wow.
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