Controversy At GON???!!!???

[Nakoda man]

Well, I am sorry that all of those negative incidents had to take place at the pow wow.
But understand that this is a commercial pow wow, not a traditional pow wow and not run by traditional people. It is totally commercialized. I imagine they would have it somewhere else but having it there allows them to control the attendance and make a profit, not so with an outdoor pow wow. LOL
With as much money as this organization generates at this event, it would be a good idea to invest in splitting the categories..either by age or by dancing style(you know contemporary grass, jingle, northern cloth, southern cloth) as other big pow wows have done to give that large amount of dancers a feeling that they got a fair shake. The same with the drums..you know they take in enough money to do that if they are truly promoting singing and dancing. Everybody pays to dance sing and even to participate in the MIW contest.
Also, no dance judges were posted, so I understood that it was kind of chaotic in that area.
This is a good pow wow, everybody puts it on their list of "have to's" and it pays decent money, but it could be improved upon seeing it has grown and the dancing and singing categories are always packed. I think everyone would feel better if they just felt they got a fair shake.
But, that's just my two cents. LOL

How bout making it 3 dayz,didn't have tyme to really snag,day one suppose to be checking em out,2nd day is suppose to sizing em up and 3rd day iz making tha move,lol theres my 1 cent,yeah security waz really on a professional level,they keep us safe,and as far as grass dance speacil,I thought it was fair.I enjoy dancing among tha best thuur,pce

[**jdazmum**]

I just recieved this from the Event Staff at G.O.N. and I think what he wrote is uncalled for. Especially about "singers/dancers are not above everyone when it comes to participating in powwows." but here is what I recieved from them. See what you think about it:

Name: Event Staff
Email: [email protected]
HomePage: http://
Where are
you from: Albuquerque
Comments: Get your fact straight. The Eyabay singer was completely out of line as he disrespected elders, children, drums, and you with his behavior. A singer from your drum was also repeatedly warned for his childish behavior as well and I did speak to a rep from your drum about him too. Singers/dancers are not above anyone when it comes to participating in pow-wows. Trust me in working the Gathering for a number of years I've seen way better drums than yours. You have potential but it needs to be cleaned up. It's a right that comes from being earned. By you bad mouthing the very people who took care of you shows the amount of respect you were brought up in. No one said you can't record anything "from your seats". Following drums and getting in the way of elders and stepping on children and be disrespectful about it is where you have the problem. In any event I do wish you luck and know that in Indian Country it's always good to wish nothing but good things towards one another.

I feel that things should've been handled a different way and dancers/ singers are why people go to powwows across the states. Not once did I see elders, children or drum groups being disrespected by anyone other than the Event Staff.

Damn! Now that's harsh! "I'VE SEEN WAY BETTER DRUMS THAN YOURS. YOU HAVE POTENTIAL BUT IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP" Holy crap, if I heard that from GON Event Staff, I would never go back. I mean they make tons of cash off of us, spectators, dancers and drums. It wouldn't be a powwow if it weren't us right? This year, they had some kick azz drums, I bet half aren't returning. If we go next year, for sho' I'm taking pictures of the security guards, just to post them on here and poke fun!

I had problems from the beginning with this powwow I had UNM ticket office take 243.00 out of my account for a week, I had to beg and make threats to get my money back!! If I go next year, I'm camping outside the ticket office!! LMAO! I'm also boycotting the food booth, bring my own burritos! LOL! Why don't we all go to Kinko's and make replicas of them wirst bands and eliminate the problem! LOL!

GON sucked or not, I'm still a powwow adddict. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BurBz]

If we go next year, for sho' I'm taking pictures of the security guards, just to post them on here and poke fun!

make fun of fiddy! OKAY!!! DONE DEAL!!

I had problems from the beginning with this powwow I had UNM ticket office take 243.00 out of my account for a week, I had to beg and make threats to get my money back!! If I go next year, I'm camping outside the ticket office!! LMAO! I'm also boycotting the food booth, bring my own burritos! LOL! Why don't we all go to Kinko's and make replicas of them wirst bands and eliminate the problem! LOL!

GON sucked or not, I'm still a powwow adddict. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dannnggg why did they hold that much money?? did you buy online? thats crazy!

LMAO! how bout replicas of the parking passes!! LMFAO! now we're getting creative!

[woggs]

I think GON will be packed...no matter what it IS the FUNNEST powwow..I mean you have alot of action and there are so many reservations and Pueblos in the area..No matter what I like going to GON..just paying the COST of going to GON sux!!

[LiLT206]

To Kinko's we go!!

[50cal]

make fun of fiddy! OKAY!!! DONE DEAL!!



dannnggg why did they hold that much money?? did you buy online? thats crazy!

LMAO! how bout replicas of the parking passes!! LMFAO! now we're getting creative!

hey hey hey!! how did I get involved in this??? LOL!!!! burbsy burbsy, you have no idea......LOL!!!! *evil laugh*

[50cal]

oh the tickets online were 27 dollars each!!!!!!!!!! FUGGGGG that!!!!!!! you're better off standing in line to save money...but anywho FUK the gathering of nations!!!

[billyjoejimbob]

they charged more for advanced tickets!?!?!

That is kinda backwards.

See, its about money.

[biggulp]

thank you!!

thanks for the translation quicksilver. I now understand what was being said. lol

I'm a pro at dialects especially when I have to talk to the Oriental girls on the phone, lol.

Alright for all you diehards making up shyt and everything. I heard a lot of different variations and people acting like they know but this is what happened.

I was whittling time away at the drum then I heard The Boyz were about to sing so I got off my high horse to go and watch them. Since my homie was singing with them, I worked my way up to the seats and shyt. I was overlooking them then this big a$$ motherfycker started to yell at me for watching them sing so I was like don't fycking yell at me what the fyck you! Then he kept saying that I had to go, so I started making my way back to the Eyabay drum. Then that motherfycker was trying be fast and swift by trying to grab me. By then he already called for some backup and fyck, that cunt grabbed my arm and left some big a$$ bruise on it. So anyways I was back at the drum and I was like whoa nelly! Let's try and work out a peaceful resolution and then that guy goes on his walkie talkie and starts calling for the cops. By now there are eight guards around me and and I was walking up the stairs to leave. I kept on talking to try and get these motherfyckers to let me back in because it was about one more drum away from singing a contest song. If I was able to sing that I would just leave and since this was my first time attending GON which was quite an awful experience when the security took away my right to sing. I felt that I let the people down because I always pray for everyone and when I'm at the drum it's like I think my prayers are heard the most. It's bad enough they don't let people record but when they start treating singers like this.

I'll let somebody else decipher the rest of this good story. It wasn't too hard since it is so enthralling, lol.

Where would powwow dancers need to dance to something and the singers make that music for them .. anyways i was outside by now and then the cops was there so they was trying to rip off that green wrist band off of me then this one guard whips out this shank "knife" bout 7 inches long so i'm scared *** **** cuz he was already coming at me with the knife and havin a cuttin motion and the cops there were no help just typical cops all eatin they burgers and fries so they didnt' say anything so im like **** that so i rip off the wrist band myself by now im all chillen outside GON for about 4 hours .. so i waited till night time when it got all busy and **** so i snuck in during grand entry changed up took off my glasses and ****.. i was pretty dissapointed with the treatment and those are facts where i can sue GON and i got that bruise on camera and video cam and several witnesses but i don't want to take that route just lettin people to know theres no need to take a violent action and...

LADIES IM SINGLE SO HIT ME UP :P lmfao gonna be in standford then crow so hit me up

[nativemom]

Dang....all this BS at the Gatherings, huh? Well, here's my 2 cents. People have been complaining about the prices for years now....anything being done? NOPE!! I agree with sltate when she said GON is totally COMMERCIAL there's no tradition whatsoever in that pow wow. I think that Derrick, Lita, and Melonie seriously need to read these complaints and seriously make some changes. GON is always gonna have a turnout. They should make it a better experience for those that attend. All I've heard of GON is nothing but negative PR. MAKE IT A POSTIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THE MAJORITY THAT GO!!! You know they making big time $$$ at the gate and throughout the year, right? Raise the prize money especially for the singers.....you don't let anyone record and you make cd's of the drums, which in turn you make money off of. Raise the money if you want to keep hiking up prices for everything else.

Word of advice: get different security for next year or teach them pow wow etiquette.

All in all.....I wish I coulda went cuz I have family down there and my other fam showed up there. Everyone wants to go so make it a postive experience.

[sltate]

This is a fun place to go to meet new people and see your friends that you never see anywhere else, but they need to try to make some good changes and make things more accommodating to the dancers and singers....that's the reason everyone is there anyways, MIW is like a side attraction, the dancing and singing is the core of that event.
We will see, I guess, if the committee heeds to everyone's ideas or continues to hike up the prices and make more money. My family still goes and will still go because of the dancing, singing and people we get to see there every year. Not too often do the Canadian dancers make it to OK to dance. LOL

[Paul G]

How bout making it 3 dayz,didn't have tyme to really snag,day one suppose to be checking em out,2nd day is suppose to sizing em up and 3rd day iz making tha move,lol theres my 1 cent,yeah security waz really on a professional level,they keep us safe,and as far as grass dance speacil,I thought it was fair.I enjoy dancing among tha best thuur,pce

Now that is a great idea. It really does need to be longer. They run way behind on Saturday! The placed was packed with people during Grand Entry but everyone had cleared out before the contests started. I felt bad for the public that came out. They missed all of the great dancing and singing that was there!

[BurBz]

oh the tickets online were 27 dollars each!!!!!!!!!! FUGGGGG that!!!!!!! you're better off standing in line to save money...but anywho FUK the gathering of nations!!!

realllllyyy!!! 27 bucks for tickets online??? ummm i only paid 21.50 or whatever it was and that was online.....dannnggg thats interesting....

[**jdazmum**]

50 says we aren't going back. So I guess we aren't.

I'd still go back, there isn't any powwow in the Southwest where you have thousands of dancers and big drums jam all in one weekend, like GON.

[Two-cents1]

__

Gathering is known for trying new things and encouraging new trends. Some people love it, others never return.

Another thing is the yearly contest winners. There are always some top winners that are surprising to everyone. It is my opinion that sometimes this is a good thing. It launches the careers of a lot of up and coming dancers.

Sorry to rain on Whome's good thoughts for contest this year, and also someone else's idea of a "fair" contest at GON, but I had very different thoughts of some of the winners and the powwow in general.

I have never seen so many top place winners who had mostly cloth outfits. The only beadwork some of the men's winners had was a beaded headband. I'm too old school I guess and I believe firmly that at this level of competition, a fully beaded (or fully sequined if you must be lightweight as possible) outfit is a must. I would never score anyone with cloth as a major portion of their outfit (men or women) higher than a dancer with a complete outfit. If you're a great dancer, that's part of it but not all of it at this high level of comp.

The dancers who place consistently have all paid their dues. they got their outfits complete and where they want them (colors, coordinated pieces, something that suits them and stands out according to their dance style), which has cost thousands of hours and thousands of dollars. They've traveled and gone to powwows for years not placing, or placing low, and worked their way up. They've stayed in shape and stay current on dance styles and trends. They keep in time to the drum and dance appropriately to the different songs they are given. If they do this consistently, then why is it wrong to award them a place if they've clearly earned it and keep earning it? Why is it "fair" to award someone that doesn't have a complete outfit, and takes the shortcuts of "flash and glitter" instead of truly dancing?

And what about the truly class-less dancers who start trouble in the arena during contests, with the arena directors, and are rewarded for it? That's too much.

In addition to the dance contests, I was disappointed in the level of class of the crowd. That was awful when they booed Darryl Goodwill for winning that special. I saw powwow spectators and people sink to a new low with that one. I really like the way Julius and Lakota dance, but when you saw all 4 dancers out there during that special, in my opinion the contest was between Rusty and Darryl because they danced HARD every song. And Darryl just scored higher in my book for being honest and walking off when he missed because NO ONE does that anymore. Besides it was a family special, not a popularity contest, and the family could pick whomever they wanted to win it.

The regular dance contest was something to be expected I supposed. I figured something was up when no head dance judge was posted on the flier or the website, but we went anyway. Derrick seems like he has to do something bizarre with the dance contest about every 3-4 years to keep it fresh or whatever, like when he had white people judging for awhile. I don't think you can be "fair" when you have dance judges who are not powwow people. The only thing they'll notice is flash, or stereotypes of how they think powwow dancing is supposed to look.

I could care less about paying to get in, even for dancers and singers. I'm lucky that we didnt' have any trouble like some people with getting in, or with security.

Okay, I got my gripe out of my system. I did have a great time at GOn this year because we were trouble-free and it was good to be at a big powwow and see everyone. We'll probably go again next year because we go every year and hope we remain trouble-free again. I really don't see Derrick changing anything because it's not impacting him at all, the trouble people have and the complaints of dancers. There is alot that can be done to improve this powwow, but Derrick is not Indian, did not grow up in the arena, so for him there's no need to change.