Daily Nebraskan

Powwow begins celebration of Native American Month
Amy Nichols

Monday, November 19, 2001
Updated: Saturday, November 29, 2008




Michael Modrcin/DN

Marcella Gilbert, 40, dances during the University of Nebraska Inter-Tribal Exchange powwow Sunday in the Nebraska Union Ballroom. Gilbert is a member of the Lakota Tribe and has been dancing in powwows since she was very young.

The drummers started, thump, thump, thump, thump. Three dancers entered the crowded room dressed in brightly colored, native clothes adorned with beads and feathers.

The first one carried the staff, the second carried the American flag, and the third carried the Nebraska state flag.

The other dancers followed, dancing clockwise around the center drum. The UNL powwow had begun.

The powwow, sponsored by University of Nebraska Intertribal Exchange (U.N.I.T.E.), was part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln celebration of Native American Month. It was held on Saturday and Sunday in the Nebraska Union.

The powwow is a combination of a religious and social gathering. It begins with a prayer, followed by a flag procession to honor the tribe and the United States.

The staff is an old tradition and usually consists of an eagle feather and other religious objects.

Chief Jake Swamp of the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation gave the invocation in his native language and then gave a speech in English. He said everyone should always be thankful for the good things in their lives.

"That's what we're trying to teach people, to be thankful each day," Swamp said.

The first dance was a victory dance for our troops overseas. "The United States is our country," said emcee, Xavier "Sonny" Delapass, "We fight together anywhere."

"This dance is for our people in Afghanistan," said Delapass, "We will win the war."

No one could start dancing until the head man and head lady dancers started. The head man dancer was Brandon Stabler from the Omaha tribe. The head woman dancer was UNL graduate Misty Thomas from the Santee tribe.

The rest of the powwow was a mix of traditional dances and intertribal dances where everyone is allowed to participate. One of the dances was a veterans' dance to honor the veterans of any war. The families of the dancers also participated. One family danced in honor of their father, a veteran, who recently died.

The Indian two step, a partner dance, gave everyone a chance to dance and for those who aren't American Indian, a chance to learn actual steps to a dance.

The princesses were introduced to the crowd. The job of a princess is to go to various powwows to represent the tribe or organization she is elected from.

Freshman English major Regina Grant, this year's princess of U.N.I.T.E., was taught by her dad's family how to dance.

Grant, a member of the Omaha tribe, has been dancing since before she was two years old. Grant said she enjoyed dancing because she's been doing it so long that it is a big part of her life.

"It reminds me of where I come from," Grant said, "There's a lot of people here who know a lot about the culture."

The powwow ended in reverse of how it began, with the removal of the staff and flags.

The reason for the month-long celebration was to introduce people to the American Indian culture.

"These events are important for everybody," said UNL history professor, Dennis J. Smith, a member of the Assiniboine tribe.

"It is important for non-Indians to educate them and introduce them to the cultures. It's also good for Indian people. Some don't know about their own tribal culture. This makes them more cultural and more knowledgeable."