Powwow spirit

I began dancing and participating in powwows in 1994, and in many ways helped to enforce and balance my identity as a 21st century Indigenous women. Since my first time in the powwow circle I have found humility and happiness, from that first moment I made made my own Jingle Dress, the essence of the powwow way has been a part of my life in some way.

As humans we must all find our 'way' to be happy, to be balanced, to find the sublime, for many Indigenous people it is dancing with and among the People in the powwow circle.  I am thankful everyday for my abilities and senses for the help me to appreciate the diversity of Indigenous people.

As I have matured in my own life, I appreciate the little details of my experience living as an Indigenous women, and as a powwow dancer whose dance is prayer.

Blessings in all things.

Powwow regalia

Jingle dress and beaded moccasins detail of Venaya's
powwow regalia.
Photo credit Venaya Yazzie 2015
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A major part of my college experience had nothing to do with academia, in fact much of it had to do with dance and Indigenous Adornment practices. As a college student my week days were spent in the halls of college classrooms, but the weekend were all about roadtrips to powwows in the region.

I was fortunate to have good friends, powwow sisters who adored the powwow life, or powwow trail as much as I. Much of what these ways involved was prayer, dancing and singing, and too the Indigenous human ritual of 'adornment.'

As women of the powwow, we had more than one dress, or as it is called 'powwow regalia.' Such outfits are not 'costumes,' they are the material culture pieces of distinct groups of Indigenous people of the Americas. Please never refer to powwow regalia or other Indigenous cultural clothing as anything else.