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Red Earth Powwow 2012
This year, my family decided to make a list of a powwows we had never attended and Red Earth made the cut. THUNDER had nothing to do with it of course...ahem!
Oklahoma City is a beautiful city, this writer had only been there once before, many years ago attending a business meeting, and I was anxious to revisit it again and enjoy the hospitality of it's people. Pulling into the area of Cox Arena, we noticed long lines of people waiting to get in to the Red Earth Powwow, and we were excited.
Finding parking on that first day proved to be a bit of a pricey challenge as we ended up parking across the street for the price of $7.00 for the day, a cost we thought was not a problem. Towing all our belongings along with a rambuncous 4 year old was the real challenge, as he insisted on taking his Iron Man clad teddy bear along with all our other gear but we managed, as we often do.
I had my family sit at the entry way so I could go get tickets for the weekend. There were about 4 lines of people waiting to get to the ticket counter, some lines were moving faster than others and the line I was in was...the other. With Grand Entry fast approaching, I texted my family to get ready to run as I was almost to the ticket window...when the ticket lady excused herself to use the bathroom, or something...either way, she was gone for what seemed like a life time...it was 5 minutes.
Being a patient person for the most part, I did feel a bit perturbed that she would choose this particular moment to leave with so many people waiting to get in, and some of them dancers. Surely they could have had a seperate line for dancers/singers for without them, there would be no powwow right? Or the least she could do was wear an Attends for the time she had to be there.
Finally, I am almost there, and the lady in front of me decided she doesn't want tickets for Saturday or Sunday and askes to have her tickets exchanged for today...another wait...5 minutes...I'm tapping my foot...in time to the sound of grand entry drums.
I finally get to the window and the lady who has been painfully slow..but also very sweet asks for my last name. What? Why does she want my last name? I give her my maiden name which I haven't used in eons, and she smiles and slowly gets me my weekend tickets. $20 per adult for the weekend, kids 6 and under free. I've paid similar prices at other powwows so I accepted it without argument.
I run. Which I don't do but am now doing...to get to my family so they can make grand entry.
I give my family their tickets and tell them to run!!! But wait...all our luggage must be opened and examined and for a moment I'm thinking my family will miss their flight!! No wait, this is a powwow. Dancers needing to get to Grand Entry, and they want to examine the contents of the luggage. Yes, this happened.
After that part is done, my family bolts to make it to Grand Entry but I am detained. My purse must be examined, and my grandson's juice must be tossed as NO OUTSIDE food or drink are allowed which can only mean...everything inside will cost an arm and a leg which I have already exhausted.
After that is done, I give them MY ticket but then they ask for my grandson's ticket. He's 4 years old. Children 6 and under don't pay which is something they should have known but apparently...didn't.
They call the front desk and I can hear someone answering with a resounding confident..."I don't know either."
I am chuckling, not a I am happy to be here kind of chuckle but the kind that borders on maniacal, and I am remembering the HUGE sign at the ticket office with the prices for the age groups...and I wait.
I try to be patient and understanding right. They have a job to do, I just wish they were all on the same page while doing it.
We finally get in, my family has made grand entry not without breaking a sweat to register first but they make it. Registration cost $20 dollars a person by the way. This is unreal.
A lot of powwow people are not rich; I know I'm not. I think about some families who have maybe 4 or 5 dancers in the family, they're paying at least 100 dollars to get in, and another $80 to $100 to register, and they haven't even danced yet.
They've already spent at least 200 dollars plus the parking fee, and the gas to get there which is probably around another 200 dollars depending on where you're coming in from, plus your room for the weekend.
Food and drink was another challenge to deal with. One of the announcers made a joke saying it would be cheaper to go to Starbucks across town to get a cup of coffee then to pay for one there in the arena.
Having said this, there were some delicious food to be had. The 3Sisters food stand, Grandma's Indian Taco Stand, the baked spud stand were all must try places. For the price, it was good eats. And while you were eating, you could be entertained with beautiful music played by Arvel Bird on his violins and flutes. To warm up, I would come down to the food court, have a coffee, and relax with the sounds he presented. Loved it!
Yes, I said to warm up. The arena was freezing. People pulled out their blankets and coats to keep warm. Visitors, dressed for the sweltering heat outside, would come in, sit for a little while and then leave, shivering as they did. Having spent a lot of money already to be there, I toughed it out.
I wasn't used to announcers having to pay for their food while working, really, I'm not. A lot of powwows I've been to would provide some free meals in return for announcing their business. Makes sense right, and it's just a sign of respect.
The announcers, and the drums keep the powwow moving with their stories and songs, they entertain the crowds, encourage the dancers, make fun of one another, why not bring them some free coffee or a sandwich every now and then? Just my two cents on that one.
Were there any positives? Oh yes!!
The dancers themselves were of the highest caliber. I thorougly enjoyed the various tribal presentations with the music and dances, and I thank them for their beauty. My favorite was the Champions of Champions fancy dance competition. Although I didn't stay for the announcement of winners in this category, I was greatly appreciative of their dance moves. You Tube has a few videos showcasing this event, and I encourage you to go take a look.
The other thing that deeply touched my heart was the Snake Dance presented towards the end of the powwow. The meaning of leaving the past behind as the dancers crossed the metaphorical river meant a lot to me. Families who also felt as I did stood, and cheered their loved ones on as they danced to the river, then jumped over. I say thank you for this presentation, I shall never forget it.
Would I return to this powwow again? Most likely not, at least not right away. It will take me a few years of saving some money before I make another venture to this event.
~For what it's worth~
I am JB Sanders - Hunkpapa Lakota
This year, my family decided to make a list of a powwows we had never attended and Red Earth made the cut. THUNDER had nothing to do with it of course...ahem!
Oklahoma City is a beautiful city, this writer had only been there once before, many years ago attending a business meeting, and I was anxious to revisit it again and enjoy the hospitality of it's people. Pulling into the area of Cox Arena, we noticed long lines of people waiting to get in to the Red Earth Powwow, and we were excited.
Finding parking on that first day proved to be a bit of a pricey challenge as we ended up parking across the street for the price of $7.00 for the day, a cost we thought was not a problem. Towing all our belongings along with a rambuncous 4 year old was the real challenge, as he insisted on taking his Iron Man clad teddy bear along with all our other gear but we managed, as we often do.
I had my family sit at the entry way so I could go get tickets for the weekend. There were about 4 lines of people waiting to get to the ticket counter, some lines were moving faster than others and the line I was in was...the other. With Grand Entry fast approaching, I texted my family to get ready to run as I was almost to the ticket window...when the ticket lady excused herself to use the bathroom, or something...either way, she was gone for what seemed like a life time...it was 5 minutes.
Being a patient person for the most part, I did feel a bit perturbed that she would choose this particular moment to leave with so many people waiting to get in, and some of them dancers. Surely they could have had a seperate line for dancers/singers for without them, there would be no powwow right? Or the least she could do was wear an Attends for the time she had to be there.
Finally, I am almost there, and the lady in front of me decided she doesn't want tickets for Saturday or Sunday and askes to have her tickets exchanged for today...another wait...5 minutes...I'm tapping my foot...in time to the sound of grand entry drums.
I finally get to the window and the lady who has been painfully slow..but also very sweet asks for my last name. What? Why does she want my last name? I give her my maiden name which I haven't used in eons, and she smiles and slowly gets me my weekend tickets. $20 per adult for the weekend, kids 6 and under free. I've paid similar prices at other powwows so I accepted it without argument.
I run. Which I don't do but am now doing...to get to my family so they can make grand entry.
I give my family their tickets and tell them to run!!! But wait...all our luggage must be opened and examined and for a moment I'm thinking my family will miss their flight!! No wait, this is a powwow. Dancers needing to get to Grand Entry, and they want to examine the contents of the luggage. Yes, this happened.
After that part is done, my family bolts to make it to Grand Entry but I am detained. My purse must be examined, and my grandson's juice must be tossed as NO OUTSIDE food or drink are allowed which can only mean...everything inside will cost an arm and a leg which I have already exhausted.
After that is done, I give them MY ticket but then they ask for my grandson's ticket. He's 4 years old. Children 6 and under don't pay which is something they should have known but apparently...didn't.
They call the front desk and I can hear someone answering with a resounding confident..."I don't know either."
I am chuckling, not a I am happy to be here kind of chuckle but the kind that borders on maniacal, and I am remembering the HUGE sign at the ticket office with the prices for the age groups...and I wait.
I try to be patient and understanding right. They have a job to do, I just wish they were all on the same page while doing it.
We finally get in, my family has made grand entry not without breaking a sweat to register first but they make it. Registration cost $20 dollars a person by the way. This is unreal.
A lot of powwow people are not rich; I know I'm not. I think about some families who have maybe 4 or 5 dancers in the family, they're paying at least 100 dollars to get in, and another $80 to $100 to register, and they haven't even danced yet.
They've already spent at least 200 dollars plus the parking fee, and the gas to get there which is probably around another 200 dollars depending on where you're coming in from, plus your room for the weekend.
Food and drink was another challenge to deal with. One of the announcers made a joke saying it would be cheaper to go to Starbucks across town to get a cup of coffee then to pay for one there in the arena.
Having said this, there were some delicious food to be had. The 3Sisters food stand, Grandma's Indian Taco Stand, the baked spud stand were all must try places. For the price, it was good eats. And while you were eating, you could be entertained with beautiful music played by Arvel Bird on his violins and flutes. To warm up, I would come down to the food court, have a coffee, and relax with the sounds he presented. Loved it!
Yes, I said to warm up. The arena was freezing. People pulled out their blankets and coats to keep warm. Visitors, dressed for the sweltering heat outside, would come in, sit for a little while and then leave, shivering as they did. Having spent a lot of money already to be there, I toughed it out.
I wasn't used to announcers having to pay for their food while working, really, I'm not. A lot of powwows I've been to would provide some free meals in return for announcing their business. Makes sense right, and it's just a sign of respect.
The announcers, and the drums keep the powwow moving with their stories and songs, they entertain the crowds, encourage the dancers, make fun of one another, why not bring them some free coffee or a sandwich every now and then? Just my two cents on that one.
Were there any positives? Oh yes!!
The dancers themselves were of the highest caliber. I thorougly enjoyed the various tribal presentations with the music and dances, and I thank them for their beauty. My favorite was the Champions of Champions fancy dance competition. Although I didn't stay for the announcement of winners in this category, I was greatly appreciative of their dance moves. You Tube has a few videos showcasing this event, and I encourage you to go take a look.
The other thing that deeply touched my heart was the Snake Dance presented towards the end of the powwow. The meaning of leaving the past behind as the dancers crossed the metaphorical river meant a lot to me. Families who also felt as I did stood, and cheered their loved ones on as they danced to the river, then jumped over. I say thank you for this presentation, I shall never forget it.
Would I return to this powwow again? Most likely not, at least not right away. It will take me a few years of saving some money before I make another venture to this event.
~For what it's worth~
I am JB Sanders - Hunkpapa Lakota
Yeah, Red Earth has changed since the last time I went a few years back. In the 90's, they used to have the top 10 drums in Indian country. More contest places, split categories, some refreshments for the dancers.
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