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In-depth

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Contents Feature - Rhythm of nations Dancing down under Powwow summer Capital powwow Origin of power Born to dance Make your own dreamcatcher Cartographer's table Games CG vault Re:sources

PHOTO: NANCE ACKERMAN

Now, Little-Bear is 18 years old and the same drum beat he heard growing up guides his steps in dance. It becomes the only thing he hears during powwow competitions and adds to his connection with the dancers around him — and those who came before.

While many teenagers would be reluctant to take up their parents' and grandparents' dance moves, Little-Bear, a Mohawk dancer from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal, does so with pride.

"I was basically born with moccasins on," he says. "Powwow dancing is a family thing I was brought into. I'm very honoured that all of my family members are dancers."

He remembers watching powwow dancers when he was very young, once being scared half to death by a traditional male dancer who had worn facial paint and danced with particular intensity. Little-Bear learned his first dance moves from members of his family and continued to perfect techniques as the years went on.

Different dances Although there are distinct dances, such as traditional, grass and fancy, each dancer has his or her own unique style. The personalization of the movements is one of Little-Bear's favourite things about the powwows he attends nearly every weekend during the summer and early fall.

"It's so vibrant." says Little-Bear. "It's all original, always a new experience."

The atmosphere of each powwow depends on the type of gathering. Intertribal gatherings are powwows that include many different kinds of dancers — native and non-native. These powwows are more social and spiritual in nature and do not involve formal competition. Little-Bear likes this kind of powwow because he gets to meet new people and just have a good time.

At competitive gatherings, many dancers contend for the judges' attention within an enclosed dancing space. "Once you step into that dancing area, everything shuts off," says Little-Bear. "You don't really pay attention to the other dancers — you dance and there's nothing else to worry about. Your mind is clear."

Besides dancing for fun and competition, Little-Bear also dances for his father who can no longer walk. As his father passed on his knowledge to him, Little-Bear hopes that one day he can teach his future children to dance at powwows. Although he says young children take to powwow dancing naturally, Little-Bear admits that his older peers sometimes rib him about participating in the dances.

"I always choose to go out to powwows on the weekends, so I miss time just chilling out with my friends," he says. "But I don't mind because I get to meet people, travel and see other dancers. And I get to dance. I don't see it as a disadvantage. I see it as an advantage."

Intricate outfits
Little-Bear says he goes through "powwow withdrawal" at the end of the season. But, the winter provides a time to practice for the coming year and to give Little-Bear's mother and sister the time they need to create his ornate ceremonial dress. These outfits, some of which include more than 350 feathers and thousands of beads, take months to plan and complete. They also weigh a fair bit and are sometimes complicated to wear. Little-Bear holds the unofficial record for speed dressing: he once pulled on all of his regalia within two minutes, after oversleeping before the Grand Entry — the first and most important dance of the powwow.

"I was still slipping things on as I ran," he remembers.

When he enters the dancing circle during the Grand Entry, Little-Bear revels in the awesome feeling of being surrounded by people who are there for the same reason: to dance and have a good time. That's when he gets caught up in the drum beating and chanting, and dances with full force.

Little-Bear's advice for aspiring powwow dancers? "For the younger generation, for anyone in general," he says, "if you want to dance, the first step is to get out there. Don't be discouraged by what other people say. They might laugh at you because they don't understand. But once you start and get a taste of it for yourself, you're going to want more."

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