Pow Wow

       Pow Wow is an event of America’s native people. They wore colorful, showy and unique clothes called Regalia. Lots of them were made of feathers, beads, colorful materials, and leather. They designed their clothes by themselves. One family used lots of bright colors like red, orange, and yellow. That means fire. Some people, especially men, put on unique makeup. Almost every man had long hair, and they worked their hair into braids. Lots of them had some traditional tattoos, and those were so cool. Men wore lots of eagle’s feathers and women wore more leather. They told me that eagles are a kind of angel for them. They were rhythmically dancing to the sound of drums and songs, but men and women usually didn’t dance together. Each dance had some meanings, and most of them were prayers. There were two types of dance, traditional dance and grass dance. The style of grass dance was a step. They wore big bells around their ankles, and stepped on the ground. That means “mother earth” and “heart beat”. Their voices had surprising vibrato. I felt their sense of identity, and it was curious for me. I asked the man and his son who wore fire clothes, “how do you feel when you are dancing?” They said “the best.” I got impressed then. When I was talking to them, I felt their strong belief and gratitude for nature. I also got to know that America’s native people have lots of respect for each other. I had a great time. I got interested in them, and I love their traditional jewelry. However, I couldn’t ask them which I should call them, Native Americans or Indians.