GON Observation

[WhoMe]

Lots of wierdness at this one. . .

The arena had almost 300 gourd dancers of every size and shape. Needless to say it was very crowded.

There were three drums in the middle (they coulda used 5)!

Women had their seats almost completely around the circle of men.

I noticed several women coming to the drum and not singing. They just wanted to be in the middle of all the action and check things out. In essence they were dancing in front of the men.

This really bothered me. Does it bother anyone else when a woman makes their way to the drum and don't sing?

[Mr Bo Jangles]

bothers me.

What was Larry saying about the Gourd Dance on Friday evening? They had just honored Leonard Cozad Sr. and then Larry gets up and was saying something. Me and the other thousand or so people seated on the West side of The Pit, throughout the entire powwow, couldn't hear a damn thing!! We'd hear some groups singing, then others would sound really muffled, it was worse when someone would go to talk into a microphone. It was like...listening to Charlie Brown's teacher speak....."Waa, waa, waa, waa...waa"

[injunboy]

the cozads sang the redwolf song. he explained that songs meaning to the people, and did the honoring for the elder senior. larry cozads father is named redwolf in kiowa. so basically school was in session

[TacO5000]

Women are suppose to sing...

If women are sitting behind the singers they are suppost to sing not spectate.....I wonder what they are thinking just sitting behind the singers taking up space.... ?

[BurBz]

I just enjoyed looking at all the gourdancers fans :) Some of them have very very beautiful fans :)

[Miss_Kiowa]

I noticed several women coming to the drum and not singing. They just wanted to be in the middle of all the action and check things out. In essence they were dancing in front of the men.

You seem to have a lot of opinions... what do you think of women, and not just "out there" but here in OK as well, that go behind the singers and sing AND dance? Not just a song or two either, they'll do that the whole time.

I think it borders on disrespect, for those women to be dancing in front of all those men. If they want to dance, they can dance back with the rest of us and sing as well. There's no rule saying you must be right by the drum to sing.

[SBZ4life]

So women cant sit at the drum and chill..I see more men sit at the drum and look around and just chill...I sit there and sometimes wont start a song...just as long as Im at the drum...maybe those people just sittin there are just learning how to sing gourd dance...were not all knowledgable as you are.

[SBZ4life]

Someone gave me a bad report deal...HATER

[bqueton]

Noone said you have to start songs all the time. Sometimes my mind is just blank and no songs will come to mind. Other days I can sing all day by myself and never repeat. But if you're a singer then your place is at the drum. If your learning then come and learn. But it always bugs me when people come to the drum and not even try to sing. Some people just go out there for money. I know alot of the women in my family are quilty. They even take their daughters out to sit there behind the drum. It also bugs me when some of our younger kids come out to the drum and half way through the song they quit singing and just try to wack away at the drum as hard as they can. Where in the heck did they learn that!

[lbgood]

.

[SBZ4life]

maybe the kids whack off at the drum....oh whack the drum...maybe they just like to hit things hard and get out aggresion..maybe its deeper than we think.

Ive seen some people go out there and sit there...I think..its ok...their learning..PLUS back at home there aint no money to be made at the drum..we all know that..mostly we talk about big powwows and thing of that sort...I made money at GON during gourd dance...$5. Its all good tho...its not about the money for me...if they are tryna make a quick buck..then let em..they aint gonna get rich sittin out there for hours. And for kids sittin out there...they gotta learn somehow...some are just ruggit, like I was...lol...TRUTHFULLY THERE IS NO MONEY TO BE MADE SINGING...DANCERS GET THE MONEY...WE JUST MAKE EM DANCE..

[SBZ4life]

LOL - jus rugged!

shoot yea~ruggit as hell

[WhoMe]

. . . But it always bugs me when people come to the drum and not even try to sing. . . .

___

BQue:

This is my point. A southern drum sits in the middle. If you come to the center drum, it should be to sing.. . not to just check it out or be seen.

[SBZ4life]

___

BQue:

This is my point. A southern drum sits in the middle. If you come to the center drum, it should be to sing.. . not to just check it out or be seen.

Who in their right mind would sit there for hours just to be seen...you can tell if someone is trying to learn these songs or not...if they just sit there and look around they look foolish.

[powwowbum49]

I don't think the original question had anything to do with folks that are just learnin. WhoMe correct me if I am wrong, but I think what was trying to be said was ladies that are not part of the drum but instead just decide to go out there and stand behind the drum and dance/or maybe sing with a song or 2. I didn't get the impression that this was directed at the ladies that are singers and have their row of lawn chairs behind the men, but instead the ones that just go walking out there without any place to sit and are standing there dancing/singing between the men and the drum. I know my momma would have her hand up in front of her mouth talkin mean about any gal she saw out there doin that.