Sneak up dance
Jingle dancers watching
Baby plays in dirt, oblivious to dancers
Little dancer
Little bit bigger dancer
Even bigger dancer
Keep dancing, dear fellow...
Keep drawing in the dirt, my boy.
Beautiful feathers, fine regalia
Holding hands
Dancing to the heartbeat of the Mother Earth...
"I can dance all by myself!"
Feathers in the setting sun
Brothers gathering courage to dance
How about some fry bread? Indian taco? (More Pow Wow pics tomorrow after you've had something to eat!)
Lake Superior Spirit 
LOVE these pictures Kathy!! I have always wanted to attend a Pow-Wow! Thank you for allowing to attend through your vision! I can just about feel the beat of the drums and hear the jingle of the bells…love it!!
I thought that first one was a sneak up or maybe a duck and dive and THEN you told me! I was hoping to find some jingle dancers today. A very helpful person in my life who just lost his wife to cancer about 6 months ago, we found out he just had emergency brain surgery for a tumor. 😦
When the pow wow people here leave the tree place, I will go to pray.
The images are very nice, thanks for sharing them!
Kathy – Aren’t these costumes amazing!!! Such a beautiful heritage! I’ve missed attending these and had an amazing experience in Superior at a festival. The dancers were announcing and readying for a sacred dance and the crowd was so noisy and inattentive. I spoke to the person next to me and said “this is so disrespectful!” At that moment, he pointed and I looked up (on a cloudless and pure sunny day) to see a whirlwind coming through the booths, upturning everything. My friend literally threw me under a table and dove in behind me. When we came out it was chaos. The entire campus was torn up and we both looked up to see someone’s laptop disappear up into the sky and out of sight. Ambulances were called and the injured (one unconscious) were removed. All this while, the dancers huddled in a small circle in the midst of their dancing circle in silence. Strangely, no one would talk about it. It was as though nothing had happened. Students came out of the buildings asking what had happened as they’d seen pottery flying by classroom windows (3rd floor) yet no one would explain. Later on the news there was a simple announcement “there was an incident today on UW-Superior campus during earth day” but no details given. I still feel we were witness to something beyond our understanding on that beautiful day. Amazing, spiritual people!
Hi Susan! It seems like what you described in your comment, meant something to you. I like meaning myself. A dancer’s regalia is one of those things that to me has such a meaning, so, I thought I might provide you with some information. 🙂
“The principal meaning of the word costume is the style of clothing or dress , including ornamentation and hair styles, pertaining to a nation, class, or period. One of the subsiduary definitions is of a kind of pretend dress worn by actors and children. Native Americans generally object to the use of “costume” to describe their clothing and regalia as they tend to believe the latter definition is how the word is often indended.
Regalia
A Native American dancer’s clothing is Regalia–not a costume in the sence of a pretend outfit. It is a prized possession. Some regalia has been handed down through the generations, and is priceless. When a dancer decides to “come out” in a particular style, the regalia reflects the spirit and customs of the people being honored. This is no small decision, and a “coming out” ceremony for a new dancer is cause for a great celebration. The regalia is handmade, usually by the dancer, friends and family, and every article has special meaning. It takes years to collect the items until the regalia is complete, and this involves no small expense. Powwow visistors should take care to not ever touch a dancer’s regalia without permission. The regalia is an expression of spirit, and has been prayed over and blessed. Honor it, the person wearing it, and the living history it represents.” –source
Thank you so much for giving me the correct term. I used costume with no intent of disrespect but for lack of another word. I did understand the rest of what you shared and truly appreciate the beauty and intent behind their “regalia.” Again, thank you!
I am so glad of this! 🙂
So beautiful …
Hi Kathy! I just read my friend Sharon Pywell’s book, My Other Mother, about a woman and her journey with a significant piece of regalia, in the truest sense of the word. Your photos give vision to images in the book. You have such a wonderful view on humanity. So glad to be here. xoxooxS
These are wonderful! Looking forward to more. Thank you.
Fantastic Pictures! It’s something I will never see live! Thanks
I LOVE these pictures, Kathy! You are soooo lucky to have an opportunity to attend such an event. I would LOVE to experience this sometime. How come you are allowed into this space? By the way, I am curious: do the dancers mind that you are taking photographs of them?
OK, I will make a comment since many others might be wondering this same question, Reggie. It is very challenging to take photos at Pow Wows because not everyone wants to have their picture taken. Plus, during certain sacred songs photo-taking is not allowed. A couple of years ago I took along a native friend during my photography session and she asked people if I could take pics. That worked well. The area around the “arena” is filled with hundreds of spectators watching the dancers and many cameras are taking pictures. Therefore, I felt fairy comfortable taking this photos, but you never know when someone might be offended. It is challenging. By the way, during “inter-tribal” dances, everyone is invited into the arena to dance. All tribes, all cultures, all people.
That makes sense – thank you for explaining, Kathy. The inter-tribal dances sound wonderful. 🙂 I hope you DANCED and DANCED and DANCED, Kathy!
The colors are gorgeous! I especially love the picture of the boy and girl walking, hand in hand. Maybe because they’re holding hands.
Wonderful photos of color and movement and spirit! I was at a Pow Wow in WY with my friends several years ago. We sat and baked all afternoon, mesmerized by the dancers and their finery.
The 4th picture down is my sister’s grandchild. I want to know how you were able to get him to stand still for a min. to take the photo. l.o.l. : )
He was so cute, Mary K! How fun that you found this picture of him here. It was hard to take Pow Wow pics altogether. EVERYBODY was always moving!