Powwow: Grass Dancing

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Powwow Marques Chapman Kaplan University Feathers fluid, graceful, sweeping movements their colorful outfits are hinged with yarn, ribbon or cloth. This dance style originated from the plains. The dancers move as if they are smoothing down the tall grass; hence, the name. There are several stories about the origin of Grass Dancing. Many people say that the dance started among the young men who were sent out to flatten the prairie grass to form a dance arena. Rather than just stomp down the grass, they turned the chore into a dance. It is also said that they tied bundles of sweet grass to their belts, and tried to imitate the movement of the tall prairie grass swaying in the wind. Thus, in the dance today, you can see the…show more content…
These events of drums, singings, and dance are opportunities for old friend s to catch up and a way to keep tradition alive and pass that on to younger generations. Were we are from the Rocky Boy Reservation our first official Powwow was in August 1964 and has continued ever since. For many years, even into the 1920s, many such gatherings were frowned upon or even banned by the government. At the same time, there was a concerted effort to remove all traces of Native American culture and heritage. As a result, many tribal customs for specific ceremonies or gatherings were lost, and many tribes decreased dramatically in size. Thus, in the 1930s and 1940s, when gatherings were once again tolerated, many tribes began to share their customs with each other and to open up their gatherings to members of other tribes, in order to preserve the culture. The end of World War II is seen by many as a turning point, when many Indians returned as veterans and heroes. The civil rights movements of the 1960s also served to help re- build a sense of identity and pride. It was around this time that the powwow took on its modern form, and most of the dance styles were established as distinct categories. Pow-wows have grown considerably in number and popularity since that time, and can be found in all parts of the United States and…show more content…
And if you’re a visitors coming to watch the dancing and take in the sights you’re really there as an observer so you’re barely noticed. The inequality is in the history because these dances and moments were very sacreate to the ancestors. And the European was not allowed to see or participate. But through force for revenue Native were exploited for their heritage and forced to put on shows for spectators and that is why we even have this commercialization of the Powwow. But for some of us it means so much more. You do notice there is a functionalist observation to support Theoretical Perspectives for instance, the powwow event in this society will have a religion tone, and because religious institutions have certain functions which contribute to the survival of the social system as a whole, just as the organs of the body have functions which are necessary for the body's survival. I was able to draw this
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