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Health & Fitness

The Pow Wow has Ended..Not the Tradition.

The Children of Many Colors Native American Pow Wow has ended. The tents are folded and put away and all the colorful clothes and sounds and delicious smells have set with the sun..till next time.

Another year..another splendid PowWow, also known as a GON..Gathering of Nations, has come to a close. The sun was shining brightly, but not nearly as bright as the beautiful people dancing their traditional dances, drumming their traditional beats and singing their traditional songs. Tradition...that's what its all about, from the elders proud and stoic to the infants happily bopping to the sounds.

  We were there today, the last day of this wonderful yearly event, my children and I, celebrating right alongside everyone. And it was more than festive, or educational or enlightening....it was fun! Originally the GON, gathering of nations, had a true purpose...for the different native nations to come together, share food, information ( like where the good hunting was) and to tell the stories from generation to generation in traditional folklore fashion.. unwritten.. spoken through the wind for the generations to keep and remember and continue to speak to the next generation. Goods were traded and gifts were exchanged. It was a time of importance and greatly looked forward to. Today it differs slightly.

 Goods are sold to non- natives and natives alike, not traded. Wares and craftsmanship are displayed proudly and hopefully the way of the Native Americans are displayed so non- natives can learn. Tradition, however, is the same, and the pride of the American Natives are still strong and displayed among themselves and visitors. Respect and pride go hand in hand, with the sacred blessing of the circle, to asking if its permitted to take a photo. Skulls of beaver, raccoon and coyote are displayed on tables with animal skins and hand carved flutes made of cedar and other fine woods. Crafts beautiful in color are displayed along with the expertise of the artisan and the beauty of woven beads, baskets and jewelry.

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The wondrous smell of frybread perfectly cooked by experts filled the air, along with homemade lemonade and meats cooked to perfection.( I still haven't mastered the art of frybread making) The children, native and non- native danced and played together and booths filled with handmade goods were set and waiting for business.

The nations depend on these sales to get by...very little profits made here...and goods were exchanged for green paper and coins. The sound of tribal drumming filled the air and was in perfect beat with one's heart. What a glorious day.

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We left with some wonderfully handcrafted goods, bellies full of frybread and the memories of yet another grand time with the peoples of my children...they have Lakota Nation blood flowing through their veins. I already was yearning for the next PowWow, at Chumash Lake, sometime in October.

    There is more to the PowWow than entertainment.. it's about tradition of a people who have long been forbidden to have any. For many, many years, there's was a culture smothered and taboo and punished if practiced. A long time of fear.. fear of being the noble proud people that we saw today. But they kept it all anyway, as we saw so proudly today.

Underneath the bright colored clothes and the beads and the feathers are the warriors, both male and female who are the link to the past when pride was flowing like the waters, free to be whom the Creator designed them to be. When the freedom was taken along with their identity, they managed to keep their identity deep inside, long enough to pass it on, the very thing that was feared they would do. The history books barely cover what atrocities these brave, courageous and spiritual peoples had to endure.. yet..they managed to keep their knowledge of self, their traditions and their ability to endure through it all.

I see the courage as they live in poverty and below human standards on the Rez( reservation) I see a brave and proud people fighting the evils of alcohol and drug addiction as well as the knowledge of what this country did to them and continue to deny them the rights deserved. All that is tucked away neatly, not thought about for the day, as the dancing, drumming and singing fills the air and climbs to the mountains beyond. The pride, courage, endurance and strength of these magnificent people fills my heart and soul.

I know they will go back to their lives, living under conditions so hard to overcome, but I have hope that they will overcome, that maybe this country will admit the wrongs done them and possibly be fair in its retribution. I can only hope.

I know my 16 year old son felt that pride of his people, I could see it in his eyes. And my little one with downs, felt it in her way, with the beat of the tribal drum as she smiled and swayed to the music. And I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay with these excellent examples of how people everywhere should be...stoic, proud of their heritage and strong. I can still feel the drumming tonight in time with my heartbeat....and that is how its meant to be. Tradition!

 Till the next gathering..... Namaste!

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