32 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015
Nebraska
Powwows
By Amy Kucera
ust as the sun pulses over the prairie horizon to signal
the dawn, the powwow drum beat heralds dancers
to rise and move toward the center of the powwow
circle.
Led by honored elders, veterans and tribal members
holding flags and eagle staffs, the grand entry begins as
the grounds soon fill with the vivid colors of intricately
woven regalia.
The men lead the lively procession, wearing horn
caps and headdresses, porcupine hair roaches, feathered
bustles, bone breastplates, beaded cuffs, buckskin
fringe and ribbon shirts. They are followed by women
with eagle plumes fastened into finely braided hair and
feathered fans gripped in hands, while others move
in brightly beaded gowns and crowns, vibrant fringed
shawls and jingle dresses shining in the sun.
As the children enter, the drum beats are accompanied
by voices echoing in song with the chorus of beads, bells
and shells ringing in unison.
A mix of excitement and pride swells and carries
dancers into the evening, as they swirl around the circle
and drift between the past and future, just as the smoke
of sage and cedar that scents the summer night. ■
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A Celebration of Nations
Emily Little Hoop awaits her turn to participate in the youth traditional dance category at the annual
Fort Robinson Intertribal Gathering in the Pine Ridge region of northwestern Nebraska.
