Pow Wows and the Economy

[Wojapi4Me]

How many pow wows do you guys think will be cancelled this year due to the economy? With many Indian casinos laying off people, do you think it'd be in poor taste for those same tribes to host big money dances this year?

What are your thoughts?

Personally, I think it'd be in really poor taste to host dances when you're laying people off. Jobs and people's livelihoods are more important than a weekend event in my opinion. I do think quite a few dances will be cancelled this year.

[Modern Day Warrior]

Well just look at the Edisto forum, there is one cancelled...

[Levy]

Economy down

Caught in budget cuts and layoffs here
Mohegan will be a one day pow wow this year.

[Wojapi4Me]

Caught in budget cuts and layoffs here
Mohegan will be a one day pow wow this year.

I was sorry to hear about the cuts and layoffs up there.

Anyone hear anything about Schemitzun for this year? They're in the same situation with cuts and layoffs up at Foxwoods.

[WhoMe]

No National Powwow this year.

[legalstraight]

I thought National was not annual?

Some of these bigger contest shutting down might be good for dancing overall-
If your best dancers and drums are away for big money your local dances tend to suffer, so maybe we will start seeing the small local dances pick up.

[Lakota Wiyan]

I think that this would be a good time for Powwow Committees who are fortunate enough to be able to proceed in 2009 to make a goodwill gesture to the People, and come down in their ridiculous admission prices, or even going as far as not charging at all. That was a huge, and I mean HUGE money drain for me and my family last year.
I remember when Committees had to work together and raise the money so that THEY were the ones shouldering the cost of the powwow. Now, its the committees relying on admission prices (which go up and up each year), concession fees, and now even the fees for drums to sell their own CDs at the powwows. I also remember when the "Head" staff (MC, AD, Drum keepers and so on) were volunteers, chosen and honored to have those positions. Now, they get paid for doing something that is supposedly FOR the People. Ah, the good old days!
I hope that the powwow travelers this year will report back to Powwows.com, and let us all know who is going ahead and charging the Native people ridiculous amounts of money just to participate in their culture. Let us know, so we can make that part of our decision making for the 2010 powwows!

Thank you for letting me put my two laundry tokens in!

[Dakota Sandz]

ahhh...thats why I love canadian powwows....yeah we have your indoor powwows, but most of them are outdoors under the arbour in the summer and charge nothing to go to.

[ballin_n_shawlin]

I think that this would be a good time for Powwow Committees who are fortunate enough to be able to proceed in 2009 to make a goodwill gesture to the People, and come down in their ridiculous admission prices, or even going as far as not charging at all. That was a huge, and I mean HUGE money drain for me and my family last year.
I remember when Committees had to work together and raise the money so that THEY were the ones shouldering the cost of the powwow. Now, its the committees relying on admission prices (which go up and up each year), concession fees, and now even the fees for drums to sell their own CDs at the powwows. I also remember when the "Head" staff (MC, AD, Drum keepers and so on) were volunteers, chosen and honored to have those positions. Now, they get paid for doing something that is supposedly FOR the People. Ah, the good old days!
I hope that the powwow travelers this year will report back to Powwows.com, and let us all know who is going ahead and charging the Native people ridiculous amounts of money just to participate in their culture. Let us know, so we can make that part of our decision making for the 2010 powwows!

Thank you for letting me put my two laundry tokens in!

We just need to upgrade our skills!! what happened to the good ol days when we were younger and could get all our cousins in on 2 buttons :P lol just kidding....


map out your powwow trail winyan!! let's go!! :D:D

[dancing bear]

sheesh.. speaking of huge charges!!!! I just got off the gon site and they are charging 38 for the weekend??? with parking charges to boot??? a family of four is going to pay over 150 to enter the pit?? and pay up to 7(last time I was there.. ) for a frybread and/or taco?? NOT to mention, gas, motel, food...
If the state of the economy is not a deciding factor now, I dont know what is!!! get rid of "49" stage and all those hoky acts tat they have...
wow..
Just starting the *****ing early!! hee hee....

[Wojapi4Me]

sheesh.. speaking of huge charges!!!! I just got off the gon site and they are charging 38 for the weekend??? with parking charges to boot??? a family of four is going to pay over 150 to enter the pit?? and pay up to 7(last time I was there.. ) for a frybread and/or taco?? NOT to mention, gas, motel, food...
If the state of the economy is not a deciding factor now, I dont know what is!!! get rid of "49" stage and all those hoky acts tat they have...
wow..
Just starting the *****ing early!! hee hee....

But every year everyone gripes around about how commercial and how expensive Gathering is, but they'll still have way over 3,000 dancers there. It's not that good of a pow wow in my opinion....way overrated. I went last year and paid $101 for three of us to get in ($32 for the three-day pass and $5 for a souvenir booklet)...and that was just to get in. I don't think we spent over $100 the entire time we were at Cheyenne River Sioux Labor Day Wacipi in Eagle Butte. Much better singing and it was FREE!!

You guys can have Gathering...

[Tradancur]

too much for too little!

But every year everyone gripes around about how commercial and how expensive Gathering is, but they'll still have way over 3,000 dancers there. It's not that good of a pow wow in my opinion....way overrated. I went last year and paid $101 for three of us to get in ($32 for the three-day pass and $5 for a souvenir booklet)...and that was just to get in. I don't think we spent over $100 the entire time we were at Cheyenne River Sioux Labor Day Wacipi in Eagle Butte. Much better singing and it was FREE!!

You guys can have Gathering...

I AGREE! We've went for years and last year was too much! Too much to get in, too much sitting around watchn a Reggae concert that we couldn't even hear and too much crowd with nervy people in the bleachers kicking your outfit out of the way so they can sit down! pass on that! We have a family of five and I'm NOT paying $30 bucks a head just to walk in the HOT, crowded place...my 2 year old even had to pay full price! pass on that! I'll wait until the NABI pow wow the wknd after or definitely sumthn else!!!

I'll miss the green chili tho....LOL!

[WINNIE]

Nabi is also $12.00 admission fee.. Every day.. Yikes.. You'd also have to pay for parking, i believe.

[skybird5]

Admission Prices

Ok, so as a personal rule of mine, I don't pay to get into pow wows. I must be very fortunate to live in a place where Admission charges are the exception and NOT the rule. I do realize that many pow wows rely on an admission charge to raise funds for the contest payouts and my thought is, Native people should never have to pay to express their own songs and dances.
I like that Indio pow wow charges the dancers and singers $5 to register, but for that $5 the participants are given bottled water, soda and snacks for 3 days plus a Saturday evening meal. I think more committees could do something like that-even just charging the participants to register to generate revenue, but not an admission charge. I can't think of many contests that people can participate in for free anyway. Native sporting tournaments all charge an entry fee/registration fee, something nominal but to help cover costs associated with the event.

Its interesting that the NABI event is at the Cardinals stadium, but charging $12 to get in is OUTRAGEOUS. HELLO? Why not have it somewhere cheaper and NOT charge anyone. I don't think anyone really CARES where the event is held, which is also confusing considering that the NABI event itself is in July and the 10k and pow wow are in May?

[thizgirlpowwows]

what happened to the good ol days when we were younger and could get all our cousins in on 2 buttons :P lol just kidding....
:D:D

HAHA, i remember those days, LOL