3/8/2014 We Go to a WA:K Indian Pow Wow

(South of Tucson)

When we went to visit the San Xavier Mission last week with Deb we saw the signs for the Indian Powwow that was going on this weekend.

We all expressed an interest and Wednesday afternoon Deb called me to see if I wanted to go.  Absolutely!  We asked Bob if we wanted to go and he did too.

So off we went for a day of Native American culture.  We had about an hour and twenty minute drive which Bob thoroughly enjoyed because he got to be a sightseer for once as Deb was driving.

We arrived at the 32nd Annual WA:K Pow Wow.  We had a beautiful day in which to enjoy this event.

We got there before any of the ceremonies or competitions started so there wasn’t anything to do but SHOP!



These women gave the blessing of the Pow Wow grounds.


The WA:K T-ab Basket Dancers were the first ones up.




To get the spectators involved anyone who wanted to participate was invited to come to the dance area and join in.  The leader led the line in a twisting, turning dance resembling a snake crawling, if you will.



Soon you couldn’t tell where the line started and where it ended.


Next was the Gourd Dancing.  I have to tell the truth here, we found this extremely boring.  From what I could hear from the others sitting in the stands around us, we weren’t the only ones.  It consisted of four men, standing at the four points of the compass shaking gourds and there were drums being played in the background.  There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it and for this spectator it went on much too long.  That said, there was probably a great spiritual or cultural connotation but it was lost on me.

The fellow pictured above also represented the Native American veterans.

 

The Call for the Grand Entry was next and the colors for the USA, the state of Arizona, a POW/MIA flag and flag for the WA:K tribe were presented.

 

 

Before the dancing competition was started all the participants entered the arena to strut their stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the Inter-Tribal Dance Competition started.

 

 

Those are little bells all over her skirt.

 

 

 

This young fellow who was waiting to go for his dance stood still for me while I took a picture.

 

 

And he just wow’ed the crowd!




I found this little girl and I was just captivated by her.  Isn’t she just the cutest little thing?

 

This was just the best day!