Recently, my family and I attended a powwow here in Rapid City, and just about went BROKE! Even the admission alone put us back over $100.00 for the weekend. Even my four year old, who slept most of the evening sessions, had to pay $9.75 for the weekend.
The concession stand in the Civic Center were outrageously over priced, but there they were, and thats what we ate. Thankfully, we live here in Rapid City, so we didn't have to worry about a $200.00 hotel bill, or pay gas to get here and home. I consider our family lucky.....however....
A friend of mine came up from the Pine Ridge Reservation along with her husband and their 6 children. They attend alot of powwows through the year, so they know all the ropes to traveling with their kids. She and I sat down and calculated all her costs for the entire weekend....it was astronomical! Gas, hotel, food, and admission to the powwow....
I believe that it's time for the powwow committes to consider the burden they put on the less fortunate native people on and off the reservations across the country. These people, I mean WE, as a people, should be able to attend and enjoy these great dancers and singer, and the medicine that is shared at gatherings such as these, without having to decide between financing the powwow or rent, or food, or heat and lights. Sometimes these powwows are the only place we get to witness some of the greatest drumming and dancing, as more and more of the popular drums and dancers are NOT showing up at the smaller, more traditional, and FREE powwows held in the communities.
I applaude the efforts and success of the many powwow committees who step up and take on the awesome burden of producing a top rate powwow such as the He Sapa Wacipi in Rapid City. My only suggestion as a native woman and mother is that they consider defraying their costs through other avenues and not requiring the people coming from often impoverished communities to pay up exhorbitant admission costs. There has to be another way....if there isn't, we can surely make one!
Thank you for your time....
The concession stand in the Civic Center were outrageously over priced, but there they were, and thats what we ate. Thankfully, we live here in Rapid City, so we didn't have to worry about a $200.00 hotel bill, or pay gas to get here and home. I consider our family lucky.....however....
A friend of mine came up from the Pine Ridge Reservation along with her husband and their 6 children. They attend alot of powwows through the year, so they know all the ropes to traveling with their kids. She and I sat down and calculated all her costs for the entire weekend....it was astronomical! Gas, hotel, food, and admission to the powwow....
I believe that it's time for the powwow committes to consider the burden they put on the less fortunate native people on and off the reservations across the country. These people, I mean WE, as a people, should be able to attend and enjoy these great dancers and singer, and the medicine that is shared at gatherings such as these, without having to decide between financing the powwow or rent, or food, or heat and lights. Sometimes these powwows are the only place we get to witness some of the greatest drumming and dancing, as more and more of the popular drums and dancers are NOT showing up at the smaller, more traditional, and FREE powwows held in the communities.
I applaude the efforts and success of the many powwow committees who step up and take on the awesome burden of producing a top rate powwow such as the He Sapa Wacipi in Rapid City. My only suggestion as a native woman and mother is that they consider defraying their costs through other avenues and not requiring the people coming from often impoverished communities to pay up exhorbitant admission costs. There has to be another way....if there isn't, we can surely make one!
Thank you for your time....
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