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Indians and Wannabes: Native American Powwow Dancing in the Northeast and Beyond

Online ISBN:
9780813050010
Print ISBN:
9780813049113
Publisher:
University Press of Florida
Book

Indians and Wannabes: Native American Powwow Dancing in the Northeast and Beyond

Published:
10 December 2013
Online ISBN:
9780813050010
Print ISBN:
9780813049113
Publisher:
University Press of Florida

Abstract

Our complex post-millennial world forces us to grapple with issues related to the survival of the earth and its peoples. Acknowledging the critical role of dance in society, this book looks at how Native American powwow dancing––primarily in the northeast region of the United States––contributes to our understanding of these concerns. The following questions guide this study: Why do intertribal powwows attract so many people within the population at large? What are some of the dynamics between Indians and non-Indians that influence powwow? Within the context of a profoundly transcultural performance genre, how do bodies in motion––in everyday movement and dance––reveal and generate beauty and power in the centuries-long history of powwow dance, the use of space and time, and in how race is performed every year by both Indians and wannabes at hundreds, if not thousands, of powwows across North America? The overall purpose of the book is to describe and analyze the complexities of powwow dance performance by examining such events as the Grand Entry and intertribal competitions and such expressions as the grass, traditional, and fancy dance styles. To a great extent, the book confirms what Native Americans can teach us about living harmony with our environment, honoring diversity among one another, and including dance, music, and the visual arts in our daily lives.

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