Dance Regalia Stolen

[Waabi-binesi]

I am passing this along to do what I can to help. There's nothing much more I can say than what you are all probably already feeling or thinking. I apologize if this is in the wrong place. Feel free to move it to somewhere more appropriate.
Miigwetch!

[amarie49]

This just breaks my heart because these items are priceless and irreplaceable. I hope that they are recovered.

[chazziff]

dang i really hope she gets her stuff back!! dang really beautiful items .. but if it was non native people who stole it .. they probably just threw it out. sad but true .. no value what so ever to them. good luck!!

[NDNQt]

OMG, that is awful. I bet people get things stolen from vehicles at hotels more often than we think.

[Nezbah]

Shheesh.........that is sad. I know from experience the heart breaking feelings that go with it. All my regalia, shawls, and jewelry was stolen from me 8 years ago. But I was told from my elders since they were stolen, its just best to let them go and move on. They can be rebuilt, restitched, and rebeaded. Our heartfelt wishes go to the family.....

[pwow-chic]

Dang!

That's sad. I've seen this girl before and it IS very nice beadwork. Not too bad of a dancer either! I believe she lost her beadwork before at St. Croix Casino Pow-Wow, year before last, but she got it back that weekend.

[Kakeeya]

I believe she lost her beadwork before at St. Croix Casino Pow-Wow, year before last, but she got it back that weekend.

The same person? Thats too bad that this happened, and I hope that she gets it all back.

[pwow-chic]

The same person?

Yep, that's her. I work on the pow-wow committee and we had a blanket dance for her that weekend.

[Migiziwomen]

i saw her dance her in mn and she was great. i do feel real bad about her regalia, all i can say is karma is a kicker, and this person will get what is coming. also sad to say but perhaps it is time for her to let go of this and rebuild. that is the spiritual side of me. the other side says try looking for it on ebay, because if this slime is Native or not there is nothing they can do about it. if the regalia peices are worn in the circle they will be shown if it is a white person what can they do but sell it on something like ebay.

man all that work and love that went into that dress she must be in tears.

[billyjoejimbob]

That Is Messed Up, Saw Her Dancing At Rosebud Fair, My Bro's Neice. My Bro Beaded Her Leggings.

We All Know That Beadwork Very Well And Will Be Keeping An Eye Out.

No Way To Treat A Princess!

What Is That Area In Cali Like? Possible A Bum Took It Looking For Clothing? I'd Be Searching Every Dumpster And Alley For A Mile Around.

Either That Or A Jealous Woman.

[billyjoejimbob]

I hit my NJ,NY,CT,MA,PA,OH people with emails and the photo.

[Migiziwomen]

i also have sent that off in e-mail to all my rellies and asked them to in turn send them off.

[skybird5]

In a truck?

Yes, it is a terrible thing to have personal items stolen. But having been going to powwows for my whole life and seeing this kind of thing happen in the past I can only say one thing. Were these items ONLY valuable when the person was wearing them? Were they not valuable enough to remove from the truck and take inside?
The flyer says stolen at a hotel from a truck, which sounds like she didn't just turn her back and they were gone or went inside to check in and they were stolen. It sounds like they were left in the car for the night...if that's not the case, please inform me, however...

Too many times we get to the hotel after the pow wow and its late and we're tired and it's easier to leave everything in the car, lord knows I've seen roaches, full eagle bustles, plumes, fans, everything just sitting in back seats, on dash boards, in rear windows at hotels hundreds of times and I wonder why their owner doesn't take better care of them? I learned early on, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, take your dance stuff into the room with you. I only leave things in my car that I don't mind losing and than can be easily replaced. I don't care if it's 3 am and pouring rain, I take my dance suitcase inside the room with me.
How often do we hear of people having their items stolen while the bag is in the hotel room? Rarely.

I learned from my grandmother a long time ago, that our dance regalia is part of us, we have to take care of it, same with our feathers, our drums, anything we use to dance. How can we teach our next generation the importance of taking care of their dance stuff if such publicity is made out of a person having their items stolen for leaving them where they didn't belong? I remember back in the day, a person would be shamed for having their stuff stolen in such a way, not given a blanket dance and money, much less time during the pow wow to tell everyone about it. When my daughter started dancing, I can remember taking her regalia away from her because she didn't take care of it. Perhaps that's what someone is trying to tell this girl?

[Nezbah]

Yes, it is a terrible thing to have personal items stolen. But having been going to powwows for my whole life and seeing this kind of thing happen in the past I can only say one thing. Were these items ONLY valuable when the person was wearing them? Were they not valuable enough to remove from the truck and take inside?
The flyer says stolen at a hotel from a truck, which sounds like she didn't just turn her back and they were gone or went inside to check in and they were stolen. It sounds like they were left in the car for the night...if that's not the case, please inform me, however...

Too many times we get to the hotel after the pow wow and its late and we're tired and it's easier to leave everything in the car, lord knows I've seen roaches, full eagle bustles, plumes, fans, everything just sitting in back seats, on dash boards, in rear windows at hotels hundreds of times and I wonder why their owner doesn't take better care of them? I learned early on, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, take your dance stuff into the room with you. I only leave things in my car that I don't mind losing and than can be easily replaced. I don't care if it's 3 am and pouring rain, I take my dance suitcase inside the room with me.
How often do we hear of people having their items stolen while the bag is in the hotel room? Rarely.

I learned from my grandmother a long time ago, that our dance regalia is part of us, we have to take care of it, same with our feathers, our drums, anything we use to dance. How can we teach our next generation the importance of taking care of their dance stuff if such publicity is made out of a person having their items stolen for leaving them where they didn't belong? I remember back in the day, a person would be shamed for having their stuff stolen in such a way, not given a blanket dance and money, much less time during the pow wow to tell everyone about it. When my daughter started dancing, I can remember taking her regalia away from her because she didn't take care of it. Perhaps that's what someone is trying to tell this girl?

I whole heartedly agree with you on this. Even tho mine was stolen, it wasn't because of neglect (as it was stolen from my house, my own room, along with all my clothes, personal items, and everything **that is a whole different story**) Anyhow, I even get after my lil one for wanting to be 'lazy' and leave everything in the car. I am constantly, your not going to dance unless you take care of your stuff, or yet, even behaving himself. My friends even have asked me, why are you lugging in all that stuff to the room?? Simple answer, respect. I have no idea what things are going to happen to what, especially at night, but I am not going to risk it. If the lil one is going to be wearing it, then it really has to be protected. Same as to 'praying for it' and 'protecting it' before he enters the arena. And your right, well grandma was right, it is a part of you and should be respected as you respect yourself. .........anyhow, thats my 5 cents worth......

[Waabi-binesi]

While I agree that we must take these things seriously, I have to say that this is not really the place to be judging someone who has suffered such a loss. I'm sure the lesson is not lost on her but we don't know what the circumstances were and we certainly don't know what was in her heart at the time. From what I've read about her, she is a champion dancer and a well regarded woman and It pains me to see such harsh words directed at a sister who has suffered a tremendous blow such as this.

An MC at a recent powwow I was at said something that I think is becoming more and more true. He said, "Powwow used to mean coming together and celebrating in a good way but now it seems like it means "Don't do that! You're doing that wrong!" and I have to agree. We are so hard on each other these days over the word "traditional" Not many of us left these days can honestly say we live a true, traditional life and there's very little about the modern powwow that is traditional anyways so lets leave the judgments and the criticisms to the Christians. Let's support our sister and try and be helpful instead of hurtful.