Basic PowWow Etiquette:
Please do not touch or photograph the Drum without express permission.
Never touch a person’s regalia, and do not photograph someone wearing regalia without asking for permission first.
Please don’t bring your pets to the PowWow.
Service Animals are Welcome!
Please keep track of your young children, do not leave them unattended.
Drugs and Alcohol are NOT Allowed!
Never pick up a feather that has been dropped either by you or someone else. Be sure to notify the Master of Ceremonies or Head Dancer. They will retrieve the feather properly.
Please wear modest attire at any PowWow.
PowWow is a sacred place. The Circle is blessed before the festivities begin and it remains sacred until the PowWow is over.
ThankYou~Wela’lioq~Woliwon~Wilini ~Merci
What is PowWow?
PowWow is a Ceremonial Gathering of Native People and Communities To honor our Traditions, Cultures, Spiritual & Social Life, and the Warriors who protect us.
We honor this Celebration of our People through Dance, Drumming, Songs, Prayers and Feasting.
Tobacco is used by the Dancers and Drummers To honor our Spiritual Life, and to make Offerings to Creator, the Drum, and All Our Relations
Everyone is welcome to Dance in the Sacred Circle. The Drum represents the Heartbeat of Mother Earth. The Drumming and the Songs are used to call the People and Our Ancestors to the Sacred Fire and the Sacred Circle to Dance.
When we Dance in the Sacred Circle, each step is a Prayer. Each Step we take is a drumbeat on Mother Earth which calls on Creator to Answer our Prayers and Requests.
As we Dance in the Sacred Circle we offer Tobacco to the Drum, the Four Directions, Mother Earth, Grandfather Sky and the Spirit within us all.
Smudging
In Native American Tradition, the Four Sacred Herbs most commonly used for Smudging are: *Sweetgrass, Sage, Cedar and Tobacco*. In general, these are used for purification prior to participating in a ceremony, or for daily spiritual cleansing. This process is referred to as 'smudging', and simply involves burning the medicine to produce smoke, and using the smoke to cleanse. According to teachings, the smoke attaches itself to negativity within us, and carries it away; when the smoke vanishes, so does the negativity. In addition, these medicines can be used as offerings when desired.
Each person bathes themselves in the smoke...Many people smudge the Heart area first, next the Head, then the Arms and then downward toward the Legs. This isn't the only way to smudge, and it isn't wrong to smudge any other way.
The Sacred Fire
The Sacred Fire is used in Native American Ceremonies for Prayer and to Acknowledge the Creator and Mother Earth. There are Four Sacred Elements in Native Traditions: Fire, Earth, Water and Air.
The Sacred Fire is a Masculine Element just as the Earth is Feminine. With respect, we call the earth "Mother Earth" and the fire, "Grandfather Fire"
Before the Sacred Fire is lit, we purify the ground and the surrounding area with Smudging and Prayer.
There will be Sacred Herbs and Water available at the Sacred Fire for your Prayers and Offerings. Also there will be men to care for this Fire for the duration of the PowWow Ceremony.
*Sweetgrass (hierochloe odorata, or vanilla grass) is often used for smudging. Sweetgrass grows wild all across North America, and is one of the most commonly-used medicines among the First Nations. When it is burned, it produces a sweet-scented smoke similar to some incenses. This scent is attractive to spirits of all types. Sweetgrass is most often available in braids, as shown, and is thought of as the hair of Mother Earth. Mi'kmaq tradition names sweetgrass as the sacred medicine of the East direction.
Sage is another very common smudging herb. While any sage will do the job, white sage (salvia apiana) is generally preferred. This sage is known by a number of different names regionally. Its thick leaves and tendency to smolder well and produce a very pungent smoke are what make it perfect for smudging. Sage smoke is attractive to spirits of good intent, but is repellent to spirits that intend harm. For this reason, sage is particularly useful for smudging and purifying people, objects, areas or structures. Placing crumbled sage leaves with an object is considered to be protective as well. For the Mi'kmaq, sage is the sacred medicine of the South direction
Cedar is the sacred medicine of the West direction, and is used for cleansing and energizing. We frequently use cedar to line the floor of our sweat lodge, and have prepared a number of combinations of different cedars for smudging. Cedar smoke has a fresh, invigorating scent. Since cedar is not common throughout the Maritimes area of Canada, the Mi'kmaq frequently used juniper, a close relative, for the same purposes
Fungus is the traditional Mi'kmaw medicine of the North direction, but it has been largely ignored today and replaced by tobacco. Fungus can be used by women to protect men from the draining effects of moon-time. A particular favourite is locally called deer-foot fungus, and is a subspecies of hoof fungus (polyporus fomes fomentarius) that grows on birch trees.
Tobacco is very commonly used for offerings by most First Nations, and is often an ingredient used in smoking preparations for the sacred pipe. The familiar tobacco plant did not grow in the Maritimes area; instead, the Mi'kmaq used a plant called "Indian tobacco" (lobelia inflata.) This was frequently used in a smoking mixture called 'kinnikinnik' which also usually included alder and red willow bark and bear berry leaves, among other herbs*
http://www.muiniskw.org/pgCulture2a.htm
The Smudging Ceremony:
Each day, we give thanks for all our gifts. Koluskap taught the Wabanakis how to Smudge. Four Sacred medicines are used, sweetgrass, tobacco, sage, and cedar. Sacred medicines are potent when burned together in a Smudging Ceremony, honor this gift. Begin by Smudging your head, so that your thoughts will focus on compassion and generosity, honor these gifts. Smudge your eyes, so that you will see the beauty of Creation, honor this gift. Smudge your ears, so that you will hear all of Creation, honor this gift. Smudge your nose, so that you will appreciate the smell of Creation, honor this gift, Smudge you mount, so that you will speak honorably of Creation, honor this gift. Smudge your heart, so that you will love all of Creation, honor this gift. Smudge your hands, so that you will respect all of Creation, honor this gift. Smudge you feet, so that you will always walk the Red Path, honor this gift. This is how Koluskap taught our Ancestors, now it is our turn to pass these teachings on to the one who are not born yet.
May that be the truth!
http://www.woodstockfirstnation.com/maliseetwords.htm
Wesget Sipu, Inc. would like to thank everyone; drummers dancers, vendors, PowWow coordiator Dora Michaud, the many volunteers, sponsors and visitors who helped to make this our best PowWow ever! Creator blessed us with gorgeous weather, plentiful crowds and many warm and many happy memories of fellowship and fun.
Thank you so very much for being a special part of our celebration!
Chief Donat J Cyr and Grandaughter Damika
enjoying the switch dance
for more PowWow pictures, please see our Photo page
WESGET SIPU, INC. POWWOW 2010
by Gail Gagnon, Vice Chief Pro-Tem
Local residents and visitors were drawn to the 12th Annual Wesget Sipu, Inc. PowWow and Gathering of Nations held at Riverside Park from Friday July 2nd to Sunday July 5th. It proved to be a fun-filled weekend of drumming, traditional native dancing, children's activities & crafting demonstrations, raffles, candy dances, and a BBQ supper on Saturday.
This event was a gathering of all nations, to share in the power of the drum and celebrate diversity and common ties. Everyone can take part and share the knowledge of the American Indian Culture. This event is created to enhance the awareness and provide education to the public of the Native American Heritage. The public is invited into the circle to dance to the drum. We encouraged questions on any and all aspects of the events.
On Friday, Activities got underway early as people came out to greet both old friends and new. Some of our honored guests were Grandfather Arnie Neptune and his beloved wife, Jane, Alan Sockabasin, Pamela Mayo Lyons and many others. It was a great place to just come, relax and enjoy. There was a sense of peace that filled everyone, with no political matters discussed.
The events began with a Grand Entry, which featured flags that represented all the peoples that took part in the PowWow. Great honor and respect are shown for what the flags represent. Following the posting of the flags, an opening prayer was said and a welcoming statement was given for all who attended. A veteran's dance displayed recognition for all of the people who have sacrificed their lives for their nations in past and present wars. We showed honor and respect to the Service and POW/MIA flags.
Norman Bernard of Caribou, Maine, our Master of Ceremonies at the PowWow reminded visitors to not take pictures during the sacred ceremonies, which included songs to honor veterans, and all those fallen in battle, including children and ancestors.
After these ceremonies each day, young and old entered the circle to the beat of the drums and danced in a clockwise circle. Host drum this year was Red Hawk Medicine Drum, other prestigious drummers and musical talent who honored us with their talents were:
L'Esprit des Vents (Spirit of the Wind) 2 Feathers Drum Windy Grass Singers Timbered Lake with Diana and Crow
Lame Owl who played traditional flute Kunnaway who played traditional flute
Dancers have always been a very important part of the Native life. Everyone, including visitors is welcome to dance during an Intertribal dance. No special outfit is needed to participate, you can dance in your street clothes and you don't have to be Native American to join in. An Intertribal dance is a chance for everyone to dance and celeebrate together.
The Snake Line Social Dance was enjoyed by many participants and on-lookers. Dancers followed each other in a single line, moving in and out in a snake-like manner. The line of dancers describes the journey of a large snake through the forest and up the mountains, coiling up for a rest, uncoiling and traveling on.
Children at the PowWow were highly encouraged to participate and played a significant role and showed their interest in the dancing celebration known as the Candy Dance. Candy was spread over the dance circle and the dancers began by following the head dancer Don (Bear) Paul, while the drums pound and the singers repeat. When the drums and singing suddenly stop, the dancers must quickly gather all the candy they are able to pick up. The tough part comes when the music starts again and the dancers must throw the candy they are holding up into the air, letting it fall to the ground and return to the dance! When the master of ceremonies decides that the dance is completed, the dancers get to keep the candy.
The Switch Dance is always a fun event, and this year was no exception. In the Switch Dance, the men and women trade roles, and sometimes bits of regalia. The women may wear the men's bustles, headdresses or feathers, and the men take the shawls, feather fans, baskets and skirts of the women. The dance styles are reversed as well, and both groups are judged by the crowd as to who does a better job of imitating the other. For some reason, the women do a much better job with this dance. This year, Chief Donat Cyr's grandaughter, Damika, persuaded him to participate, much to the enjoyment of everyone in attendance. She wore his Chief's sash and draped her shawl around his shoulders and danced merrily with her Papa. Such are the joyful memories that were shared by all this year.