Band Member Voices
September Culture Column - BEYOND THE POwwow
By Nazhike, Mille Lacs Band Member
As Anishinaabe, we are prone to Traditions. Every year, many of us gather at the Iskigamizigan Traditional Powwow in August. We had just recently celebrated 60 years of the Powwow. We reconnect with family & friends, honor our veterans, support Native artists and watch our relatives in the arena. "Dance for those who are unable to" is a common teaching. Since 1966, our powwow has become one of the strongest expressions of who we are as a community. Before that, many Mille Lacs families danced at Fort Mille Lacs, sharing pieces of our culture during a time when opportunities were limited. They were used to draw in a crowd to increase attendance and sell merchandise for the owner of the local tourist store. Times were tough back then and earning some money singing and dancing was quite appealing. Today, our powwow belongs to us. It is a celebration of survival, resilience and Indigenous pride.
The modern powwow, as we know it today, developed over time through the coming together of many Indigenous Nations. Anishinaabe embraced it, shaped it and we made it our own. We brought our language, our values, our songs, our respect for veterans, our generosity and our healing. We incorporate our beliefs and customs into the Powwow. We set a dish for the event, offer asemaa and some set dishes for their regalia. One of the Ceremonial Drums is brought out as well. For many, that is the only time they spend in the presence of a Ceremonial Drum, even though there are many out there. While the powwow is not one of our ceremonies, we have woven our own spiritual teachings into it, making it a place where our identity continues to grow.
We were given ceremonies and customs by the Manidoog. We were given a way to pray, a way to make offerings, a way to give thanks, a way to mourn, a way to heal and a way to live in balance with all of Creation. Those teachings carried us long before there were dance arenas and sound systems. They carried us through the century when our language and ceremonies were discouraged, outlawed and nearly lost. They survived because our elders protected them.
If you love the powwow, let it inspire you to go deeper. Learn our language. Attend a feast. Accept an invitation to ceremony when the time is right. You don't have to know everything. You only have to be willing to learn. Every person who takes part in our way of life strengthen not only themselves but our entire Nation.
The powwow reminds us that we are still here. Our ceremonies show us why we are here.
As Anishinaabe, we should continue filling the arena every summer. But when the last song is sung and the arena grows quiet, remember that being Anishinaabe doesn't end that Sunday. It continues in our language, our ceremonies, our responsibilities and in the gifts the Manidoog gave us. The powwow is powerful and it becomes even more powerful when it leads us to who we are as Anishinaabe.
Migwech.
