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Coming Back from Retirement!
Good evening Everyone. I do not really know how to open this thread, perhaps with some background information? I suppose the best place to start is the begining.
I have lived in a good sized town in Oregon (USA) since infancy, my father was Siksikan, and after his death my mother(not being Native American) was determined to educate me to the best of her abilities on Native ways. She found stories, music, and artwork to saturate my mind, and eventually she stumbled upon a Native Kids Education center. It was basically six or seven "Natives" teaching the city's youth about PowWow etiquette, dances, games, folklore, etc.
Around the age of seven I started dancing Woman's traditional, and a few years later I switch over to Fast-and-Fancy (Fancy Shawl Dance.) Soon it became my life! Every day after elementary school I would go to the Native Center and practice my dancing with the older girls, or work on my regalia until my mother got off of work. Naturally with all of this practice I became very good, competition good. In 2005 I was crowned the "Best of the West" (there were perhaps seven BoftheW titles there, and I took home the youngest one.) Everything seemed so perfect until the Native center limited it's accessibility to the kids that were withing one certain school district, this meant that about ten kids, including myself, were permanently removed. (Not very Native of them hmm?
)It was only after my dismissal that I realized this center hosted all of the local PowWows, and with my separate school district tag, that made me unwanted. My mother was so addiment that this would not stop me from dancing she drove me across the state on several occasions to PowWows that were independent.
Such a good mom! But soon it became such an inconvenience that I really just gave up hope, and I put away my shawl for good. Eight years later, I read in the local paper that my old Native Center had shut down! And realizing that this meant a change in the local PowWow management I want to dance again!
So here is where I reach my dilemmas being the only Siksikan here I do not know about tribal specifics. Like which side to wear my feathers on, if I even wear feathers should they be up or down, I heard war paint was a new trend for FandF should I do that? Or are their any specific Siksikan things that would individualize me as a dancer? I have books, and I have tried asking Dr.Google but I never seem to get more then vauge answers. I am begging here, if you have any ideas please share them.
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