competing at your own powwows?

[ac_miss]

Well, here's a different perspective....as long as I can remember, many members of our tribe have competed at our pow-wow. Some have won, and some haven't. Our annual pow-wow, held every June, is a homecoming for our members living on and off the rez. Many Alabama-Coushatta take part in dancing, singing or spectating. But there are also many other tribes who come to participate as well, so the pow-wow is more "catered" to the visitors. We try our hardest to be hospitable.

But...as for "placing" at our own pow-wows, it's not about "hometown" favorites or anything. It's about who does their best in their category.

[chazziff]

i was thinkin bout this over the weekend and i've figured out or come to the conclusion is it entirely up the actual pow wow committee - the actual people taking registration to put a stop to their members registering and competing at their first nations' celebration/pow wow.

i had mentioned this thread to my sister and she told me about an incident with a member of our reserve who tried to come register at our pow wow by saying he was from the reserve that borders ours...he had a status card from the other reserve but he had but his thumb over the picture and part of the name (his mother is from our reserve and his dad is registered with other reserve). we/she has known this young man since he was a small child and known he has lived with his mother all of his life - a couple of miles south from our mother's home. she just told him to get outta here and you should be ashamed - all he could do was walk away...

it is entirely greed that would motivate people's decision to dance at their own first nations' pow wow - i see nothing wrong with dressing up in your finest regalia and going out and dancing intertribal or even dancing the contest songs but not lining up to be judged.

there is a slight difference with canadian and american pow wow's - some tribes (like the alabama-coushatta ^^^ or commanche homecoming) who host their own pow wow in the states but in canada there are hardly any strictly Cree tribe/Sauteaux tribe/Stoney tribe sponsored pow wows just - for example Paul Band Pow Wow or Sweetgrass Pow Wow - hosted by individual reserves. i think that is what the person who started this thread was talking about....

[SHO~STOPPER]

hey everyone..im not really new here..just have a different name...i used to post on here a lot..but now i just read the posts...BUT..i had to add my two cents in here. Okay..how about this?? what if there are a husband (committee chairperson) and wife on the committee, with the wife being in charge of tabulations, and somehow some way their kids place (this is their home rez powwow)???? and some how some way the kids of certain committee members (hometown also) place???? powwow politics....sometimes its a b****. I felt bad for some of the visitors who didnt place...who usually do place all over. anyways..just thought i would throw that one in there...

[kiiyaaniiasdzaa]

It's wrong

This is really wrong to compete at your own powwow! I have seen someone do this before; it was not there powwow but the person had a significant other that was putting up the powwow.

Booo!!!

[chazziff]

my husband has ad'ed at a couple of pow wows and i've never let my daughters register and compete while he's been an ad...i've seen it before where an ad's children registered and competed and they've placed. also the place where both me and my husband (he still works there but i don't) used to work hosts a pow wow and i've never registered our children...

seen it where an arena director's three daughters placed first - i think - in all junior or teen categories. they are all good dancers with very nice outfits but to dance where their father is picking the judges..i dont know...just too much a ka-winky-dink there...

[So. Singin' Mama]

Personally I think it is wrong to compete at your own hometown/rez powwow. I just think that if you know there are people who have come from all over to compete and participate in your celebration that you should have the consideration to give them more of a sporting chance to walk away with something! Even aside from the obvious fact that you have more of a chance of placing because they're your friends and relatives of the community, but moreover, just don't compete because one less body in there gives the visitors all the more of a higher possibility! I have competed in the past at my own rez's powwow, but now that I am older I think I just see things differently and more responsibly. But as someone posted on the last page, to each his own.

[quicksilverwade]

my husband has ad'ed at a couple of pow wows and i've never let my daughters register and compete while he's been an ad...i've seen it before where an ad's children registered and competed and they've placed. also the place where both me and my husband (he still works there but i don't) used to work hosts a pow wow and i've never registered our children...

seen it where an arena director's three daughters placed first - i think - in all junior or teen categories. they are all good dancers with very nice outfits but to dance where their father is picking the judges..i dont know...just too much a ka-winky-dink there...

A while back we put on a small contest powwow in Upland, CA and our arena director's children did compete. Realize that he had six children and with this being a small powwow ($3,000.00 total contest money) we were more than happy to have six children dancing. As for any judging controversy, I picked the judges myself.