competition, they are celebrations of Aboriginal culutre, dress,
music, food and crafts.
struck by the outpouring of friendliness that surrounds these social gatherings.
History of the pow wow dates to the 19th century where Pow wows were held to promote
the coming together of people, Native and non Native.
in the coming together of people from all tribes, national and international. Friendly
competitions are rooted in the rich history of the Native culture.
"he dreams". Pow wows promote pride, respect and health for all, drugs and alcohol are forbidden
on the pow wow grounds.
Pow wows are set up with the circular dance area surrounded by the musicians, the audience
then craft and food vendors in the outer circles.
heart beat of mother earth to the pow wow, drumming brings everyone into balance.
large bass drum, typically hand made and turned on its side. Striking the drum in unison to a
fixed rhythmic pattern the men follow a single lead singer who is then joined by the others
singing songs of Aboriginal origin.
include words from many different Native languages. Melodies flow ascending and descending
with the pitch starting at the upper end of the vocal register and ending at he lower end.
Each song repeats for about five minutes.
are the host drums for Cowichan's Pow wow.
the changes in the structure of the melody and the song as they circle clockwise around the
dance area, following the direction of the sun.
Traditional, Jingle Dress and Fancy Shawl. Dancing is primarily an individual activity
with each dancer demonstrating his or her interpretation of the dance.
Each is associated with a specific style of dance. Like styles of clothing today they have evolved
over time, using newer fabrics and more vibrant colours mirroring an ever changing way of life.
Jingle dresses were originally made of fabric in solid colors, red, green, yellow, black and blue. They are decorated with tin jingles on the sleeves, the top, with rows of jingles onthe bottom. Newer dresses are made from multi-coloured fabrics. | The jingles were often made from recycled chewing tobacco can lids which are rolled into cones. |
Fancy Shawl is often called Northern Shawl, it comes from the Northern tribes along
the U.S.-Canadian border.