Just here to learn & belong

[Oxnard]

Hi everyone. My name's Anthony. I'm a non-native black american (with, I suspect Catawba origins) from the DC/MD area. I'd like to make the effort to learn from nearby native communities & perhaps visit a few (I'm aware that MD state government has yet to recognize native tribes in the state). All that ancestry research stuff's fine & dandy, but I feel like there's been such an empty hole my social experience to date & it likely relates back to my lack of connection with regards to race.

Do the regional pow-wows mentioned on site allow for Natives & non-natives meetings/discussion? If so, I think I'd like to stay abreast of the ones approaching.

Thx all,

Oxnard

[wardancer]

Hi everyone. My name's Anthony. I'm a non-native black american (with, I suspect Catawba origins) from the DC/MD area. I'd like to make the effort to learn from nearby native communities & perhaps visit a few (I'm aware that MD state government has yet to recognize native tribes in the state). All that ancestry research stuff's fine & dandy, but I feel like there's been such an empty hole my social experience to date & it likely relates back to my lack of connection with regards to race.

Do the regional pow-wows mentioned on site allow for Natives & non-natives meetings/discussion? If so, I think I'd like to stay abreast of the ones approaching.

Thx all,

Oxnard

Greetings and welcome to powwows.calm ! Suspected lineage runs rampant around here ! LOL Some more than others ! I suspect I am Southern Cheyenne/Arapaho. If a powwow is advertised as an "inter-tribal" powwow then anyone may attend and take part. There are some protocols and if you listen to the M.C. you can usually get by alright. Welcome to the site and good luck in your quest !

[Niigig]

I am a newcomer to the pow wow community as well, and everything I know is only what I have read, but as a relative newcomer, there is a lot I can tell you that the veterans won't. If you have any specific questions from a newcomer PoV, feel free to message me. If you want more wise/sage advice though, I'd ask a committee member here... I am as green as green can be when it comes to that stuff! :P As long as you sit quietly and listen & learn, you shouldn't have any problems. The only time non-natives really get jumped on is when they are being what another member referred to as a "culture vulture", my favorite phrase ever, which basically means laying claim to native culture in part or in whole, insisting on being included in pow wows or ceremonies, or demanding to be treated equally as a tribal member when they are not in fact a member of the tribe. No matter how close you get with a tribe, if they aren't your tribe from birth, you aren't going to be registered with that tribe, and the chances of you being "adopted" as one of them are slim to none, but that doesn't mean you can't make friends with them, and most open pow wows are free to spectate for anyone, provided that they are respectful. Native american tribes are a REALLY different thing all together... They are largely linked genetically and by familiarity, everyone knows everyone and all of their relatives. You can't get much closer than that, especially in smaller communities. Non-native people who have lived in the same area for generations and made friends etc still aren't going to be taken into the tribe, and natives who were displaced from their tribe generations ago (like my ancestors) aren't going to be welcomed back in like a long lost family member, because nobody knows who they are. It is a really tight-knit, friendly, family group that just doesn't exist in the same way elsewhere, it is pretty unique to indigenous peoples. You aren't going to get the same dirty looks that some white people get when they spectate because people don't harbor the same animosity towards your ancestors, being black. If you are friendly and polite, and respectful, I think you will have a good time, it may be a very rewarding experience. There are also instances in which non-native people are allowed to dance at a pow wow, but they are few and far between and it may take a long while familiarizing with your local tribe before you are invited to do so, or even before you feel comfortable doing so! One thing that I feel earned me a little bit of respect with my local tribe was learning the language. I don't boast about it or just up and talk to someone using that language, but whenever it comes up, I might say a phrase or two and I always get smiles for it. In the way that some americans appreciate people being able to speak english, I think a lot of native peoples appreciate someone taking the time to learn the TRUE language of their local area. Not to mention I really love being able to use that when people say "If you live here, you should speak english!" because I can come back with "This isn't England, it's Ojibwe territory."

[Toolbox]

Hi and Welcome to Powwows.com!

Let me clarify some stuff that Niigig said above.

- If you have a question just ask it. You don't have to go through a middle man to ask a question here. If you have a question where there may be potential for controversy then ask it in the "Ask Powwows.com" section. Ask Powwows.com section is fully moderated so all posts and responses go through the moderation process and have to be approved by a senior moderator or an admin. If you have a question about something more specific to powwows then ask it in the appropriate sub-forum (i.e. Want to know about why grass dancers don't use bustles? Ask it in the Grass Dance section of the Men's Dance Styles sub-forum). One word of advice - avoid topics of native religions, a quick search on here will show you why to avoid that topic.

- Getting jumped on by forum members. This is something that happens on every forum for every topic. On here people get jumped on for being "Culture Vultures", for trying to be "know-it-alls", and the biggest one of all - for being combative when they receive an answer that they don't like.

- Powwows are social gatherings and not ceremonial and thus there are actually plenty of times that spectators and non-natives are allowed to participate. A lot of powwows in the Northeast often times let spectators dance around during intertribals and social dances. Head up the NY and that area, there a lot of good powwows there. Avoid most powwows in PA and NJ as they can be the farthest thing from what a powwow is and will leave you misinformed with some Dances With Wolves romanticized bull crap. There are few educational shows in the PA and NJ area where people who know what they are doing are brought in to perform. Just be respectful wherever you go and be sure to read our section on Powwow Etiquette - Pow Wow Etiquette - PowWows.com - Native American Pow Wows

Also no touchy-touchy any dancer's outfits. Be mindful of the placement of your hands or arms if taking a picture with a dancer. I can't tell you how many times I've had people rest their arm around my back and have it touch my roach.

Happy Posting!

[Niigig]

Sorry if I gave bad advice. I sort of meant like, if you are afraid of getting jumped on by multiple people with a certain question, asking 1 specific person might feel safer than posting it out in the open... At least I feel that way a lot of the time. Sometimes a genuinely innocent question can result in something akin to a shark feeding frenzy and make a person feel afraid to ask anymore questions... And I don't think anyone here actually wants newer members to feel that way.

Toolbox is a good person to listen to though, more so than myself, the knowledge / experience gap is immense between us. I am brand new.

[WhoMe]

Hi everyone. My name's Anthony. I'm a non-native black american (with, I suspect Catawba origins) from the DC/MD area. I'd like to make the effort to learn from nearby native communities & perhaps visit a few (I'm aware that MD state government has yet to recognize native tribes in the state).Thx all,

Oxnard

Welcome Oxnard!

There are thousands of Indians in the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area due to the many agencies and organizations that are headquartered there including the Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, National Congress of American Indians, National Museum of the American Indians, National Indian Education Association, National Indian Gaming, Housing, etc.

There are 8 State recognized tribes in Maryland and 11 state recognized tribes in Virginia. The Pamunkey Tribe of Virginia is the newest federally recognized tribe. For information about powwows in your area visit facebook's POW WOW EAST COAST. For Native events in the DC area visit facebook's DC Tribe.

I hope this helps and thank you for being honest!

[eagleclanriverband]

Welcome to Powwows.com!

Hope you have fun!

[LISA IRONMAKER]

welcome to pws.com enjoy!!

[Fang]

Since you're in my neck of the woods, heads up that there's a powwow January 14th in Bel Air.