Observation Native American Powwow

Introduction

For my ethnography project, I decided to observe Native American culture. More specifically, I decided to observe Native American powwows, and how they unite the different tribes participating from across the country and how they unite people within a tribe. Powwows are an event where Native American people gather to sing, dance, participate in contests, have food, and ultimately bond with one another throughout the occasion. The powwow that I attended was Utah State University’s 44th annual powwow, which occurred on Saturday March 4, 2017 at noon. In order to learn more about the powwow from an insider’s perspective, I talked to a girl who looked to be a young adult, and participated in the dancing throughout the event. Although

One of the principal rules is that people must respect one another. The audience must stand when appropriate, sit when appropriate, clap when appropriate, and the participants must be civil to each other. For instance, when the Grand Entry (the first main event) began, the announcer asked the audience to stand - which everyone did - even those who had been wandering through vendor stands. They continued to do so until the announcer told the audience that they may sit when the Grand Entry ended, at which point the audience applauded the performance. The powwow participants who weren’t performing during Grand Entry also generally abided by these rules. They made sure that any preparations for their dance did not interfere with any ongoing performance, thus showing courtesy to fellow participants. Moreover, in my interview with the powwow dancer, I asked, “Is the audience expected to act a certain way at a powwow or are there appropriate behavior and inappropriate behavior expectations?” She responded, “Well, if you want to take pictures, you’re supposed to ask because some people don’t want you to take pictures.” This is a prime example of an expectation that goes back to the general rule of respecting people, by giving them the choice of whether they want to be