The drum beat reverberated off the walls
and ceiling, shaking the floor. In
danced the Natives in their colorful garb and feathers. In front of them danced the
Veterans of Foreign wars, followed by the women-- members of the VFW. There was a woman dressed in blue with a
peacock headdress dancing in the group with Evelyn. Behind the peacock woman,
the men looked like warriors. They were dancing in a different fashion than the
ones ahead. Their dances were elaborate
and they spun around while dancing. The
air smelled of sage. Standing alongside
me was my boss George, and he said, “They burn three herbs. First, they burn sage to rid the evil
spirits. The next herb they burn is an
offering, and the third herb is to protect.”
The women dancers followed the warriors and the children followed the
women. There was one child who looked to
be no more than three years old being led around the circle. After a pause, where we clapped for the
Veterans with their flags, the dancing circle began again. At the end, the first veteran shook hands
with the second and lined up, then the second shook hands with the third and
lined up, and so on. A huge variety for
the senses was had by all who attended, from the taste of the fry bread tacos,
to the scent of burning herbs, to the sound of drums and the twinkling noises
from the large gold beads on the dresses clinking together, to the variety of
colors and headdresses for the eyes to take in, to the feeling of the
vibrations on the air and in the floor from the drums.
Minot State University Powwow 4/24/15
