Powwow of Love

The 30th annual MSU Pow-Wow of Love was held on March 16, 2013. Arriving at Jenison Fieldhouse around 7. 35pm, I found myself breaking star of the rules. I entered the building from the eastside entrance where the entrance was reserved just for the dancers. I then walked towards the dance arena, where the crowd gathered. The first thing that caught my eyes was the colorful and unique dance raiment or outfit worn by the dancers. Bright colors such as yellow, orange, red, and light blue wrapped around the dancers beautifully.The older looking antheral dancers were wearing the square up warbonnets on the head and bustles on the back. Dancers with striking multicolored beaded and fringed outfits were crowding the dance floor. Some of the female dancers dressed unanalyzable with their colorful fringed shawls. I noniced that some dancers even had bells attached to their ankles or dance outfits that they wore. I also was told that the feathers and leathers used were inherited from th eir father up to their great grandfather. The sight was so magnificent it made me excited to stay for the show.The dancing has already started when I arrived. I was told that they were doing the Intertribal Dance. In this limited dance, everyone is welcome to take part even the spectators. The dancers moved in a circular clockwise motion a without any particular moves. They then invited the human race to join them in the dance. I was hesitating to try it at first. But I told myself that wont get the picture anywhere else. So, I unyielding to just do it. The basic step is the same step used by traditional dancers. First, one foot is tapped on one beat, placed surmount flatly.The action is then repeated with the opposite foot, without missing a beat. I enjoyed taking part in the dance as it was the only chance for me to experience the Native American culture closely. Other dances that were performed are the Fallen square dance, the Two-Step dance and the Social Dance. Out of a ll these dances, the Fallen Feather dance fascinated me the most. It was performed because a feather fell from dancers outfit. It was performed by four of the veteran male dancers. They danced around and one of the dancers picked up the feather at the end of the dance while saying the prayers to it.The feather was then given back to the dancer who dropped it. I was told that in some cases, if the feather is not claimed, the person who picked it up can give it to anyone he thinks deserve the feather. During this dance, the spectators were asked to stand and remove their hats to respect the ceremony. Also, to protect its sacredness, pictures and videos were not allowed to be taken during the dance ceremony. later on watching all the dances, I went to check out the art vendors. I would say that the arts and handicrafts made are eye-catching. The beadworks are impeccable.Most of the arts were based on their beliefs and lifestyles. For example, the dreamcatcher was made to prevent nigh tmare. The rabbit foot, the turtle necklace, the bone knifes, blankets and weavings were some of the famous handicrafts sold that day. I even bought myself a dreamcatcher as a souvenir. I nip so honored to have experienced this Pow-Wow event. They have such great pride and respect for their land, culture and tradition. Most of the Native Americans that I encountered that day do not look like those people I saw in the movie they look much like the Americans.And what amaze me most is that they still locomote up to their culture and tradition despite the difficulties they experienced in the past and the U. S. governments policies towards banning some of the Native American cultures in the physical body of assimilation to assimilate Native Americansinto the mainstream USculture. Overall, this experience has altered my perceptions about how the Native Americans really look and live their life. Being an international student, this is definitely one of the most memorable nights Ive ev er experience in the U. S.