13th Annual Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow
Slated For February 22-24, 2007 in Fort Mojave

Native Americans from across the country will gather on the banks of the Colorado River in February for the 13th Annual Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow, a festival honoring the traditional dance, costumes and cultures of the many participating tribes.

The event includes competition in various traditional Native American dances, as well as vendor booths serving up Native American food and handmade Indian arts and crafts. It is presented by the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe and takes place in the new Mojave Crossing Event Center near the Avi Resort & Casino, on the reservation just a few miles south of Bullhead City.

Pow Wows are all about drums, songs and dance. The drum - a term which describes the instrument and its complement of singers, what Americans would call a band - is the center of the arena and the center of attention. The drum performs songs for all occasions, including contest songs, flag songs, memorial songs, intertribal songs and more. Drums travel many miles to attend Pow Wows Dancers from as many as two dozen tribes will participate in dance competitions, with competitors broken into groups from toddlers through senior citizens. They’ll compete in fancy dancing, grass dancing, jingle dress dancing, bird dancing and singing, and many other structured dances.

“They come from all different tribes across the country…we’ve had people from Canada, South Dakota, North Dakota, New Mexico,” said Debbie Bricker, Pow Wow coordinator for the Fort Mojave
Indian Tribe. “We’re expecting a big turnout again this year.”

Central among the festivities is the gourd dance.
“The gourd dance is an old warriors’ dance originating from the Southern Plains,” Bricker explains. “The stories tell of a warrior society, and at one time, all these songs belonged to just this society. Those who were part of it were warriors who had accomplished deeds in battles.” The all-male society had all but disintegrated when it was revived in the 1930s in Oklahoma, and now the gourd society is composed of Native Americans who have served in the U.S. armed forces. Formerly an all-male society, female veterans have been initiated into the group in recent years. During the gourd dance, dancers wear traditional Native American costumes, usually including capes in the colors red and blue. Red signifies the blood shed by the warriors and blue represents the colors of most uniform coats.

Following are some interesting details about the instruments, songs and customs of the traditional Native American Pow Wow. For further information contact Pow Wow Director Debbie Bricker at (760) 629-4591.
 
The Drums
The instrument itself is a drum made from a wooden shell covered in rawhide. Today, cowhide usually is used, although a buffalo-hide head is not uncommon. The average drum is about two feet in diameter and can seat eight to ten people around it. In the Northern style of singing, drums are smaller and are often commercial bass drums, like those used in marching bands. The sticks used to strike the drum are usually thin fiberglass rods with a leather handle and leather-padded head.

There are about ten people in the average drum, seven or eight men and two or three women. In the Southern tradition, women are not seated at the drum nor allowed to strike it, but instead sit in a second row behind the men and sing. The people on a drum are required to know many songs, because a good drum is expected to sing for an entire Pow Wow without repeating a song. A song is started by the lead singer, who does not announce what song they are about to sing but simply begins with the lead.
 
The Songs

To newcomers, songs can be the most puzzling aspect of a Pow Wow. It is not uncommon to hear a visitor say to the performer, “I didn’t know you were singing different songs.” To the contrary, there are literally thousands of songs and more are composed every year. Every song has its own unique characteristics and subtle effects. One of the differences between Northern and Southern-style Pow Wows is the way songs are sung. Northern songs are sung in a much higher falsetto voice and follow a different format in the way they are arranged. Both types of songs will be performed at the Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow. There are songs written for all occasions as well as for families and individuals. Some of the most common themes are flag songs, contest songs, inter-tribals, veteran songs and quitting songs. Just as the United States has its own National Anthem, nearly every tribe has its own Flag Song, which is a song dedicated to the flags that are brought in during the Grand Entry. The Flag Song is sung every time the flags are brought in, and every person in the arena is asked to stand and be silent to give the flags their proper respect.

Contest songs, which will be plentiful during the Avi Kwa Ame Pow Wow, are written to test a dancer’s skill. They often increase in speed or stop in unexpected places to help the judged determine who among the dancers is the best. Contest songs usually are written to suit a particular dance style, such as grass or jingle dress. Inter-tribals are the most common form of song, sung for everyone to dance to and used as all-occasion songs. Sets of three or four intertribal songs are performed throughout the Pow Wow to keep spectators involved in the festivities.
 
Rules To Live By

There are certain rules Pow Wow spectators need to be aware of. First, pay attention to the Master of Ceremonies for directions as to what to do throughout the event. This year’s Master of Ceremonies is Terry Fiddler. Everyone is invited to join in the social dances, such as inter-tribals, the blanket dance, honor songs and the two step. Spectators are encouraged to ask questions and learn more about the activities. However, it is taboo to touch anyone’s dance regalia or take photos or video without first obtaining permission. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the Pow Wow area and spectators are not allowed to enter or cross the arena unless the Master of Ceremonies calls for everyone’s participation. Above all, everyone is invited to watch, dance and learn about Native American dance, music and culture.