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Even the better dancers here in BC, imitate many movements, attitudes and regalais from prairies dancers they see or meet.
This is why so many regalias look the same, similar beadwork, enmblems, visors, roaches, etc. Here many dancers dance the same as they all look up to and imitate the acknowledged experienced dancers originally from the prairies.
There are alot of Crees, sioux and blackfeet especially in the Vancouver metro area, so the influence is easily seen.
Yet when these newer dancers dance in the prairies they stand out as not being up to par. The slower speed which they dance at, the lack of fitness, less knowledge of songs(especially trick songs), esteem on the arbor make them more unnoticeable than noticeable.
It has alot to do with self-confidence and knowledge or traditions... to give them that air of calmness, confidence and smoothness they are lacking.
At least with an indian trying to be the best dancer they can, they have in their blood a connection to native spirituality, which is a good foundation to learn the traditions and protocols of pow-wow, for a white, this will never exist and the aura of them imitating and disprespecting our ways is and has always been very strong in my area.
I doubt it will change no matter how contemporary and open pow-wows become.
Many of them will blend right in but on the arbor or on the drum there is no spirit there, it is missing as theirs is different to ours. Like the visor, they have not acheived the foundation of teachings, language, upbringing, heritage and pride...as another said, it is a lifestyle for us and for the white it is a weekend activity.
I always look hard when I see dancers with visors or headdresses, because I wonder what are they covering up? Their dancing gives them away to a certain point, but it is their behaviour that tells the truth.
People associating with them are guilty by association and this to myself brings their indianess into question!
The visor like all parts of ones regalia say something about your ancestry, but an awful lot about the person.
Kahkakew
This is why so many regalias look the same, similar beadwork, enmblems, visors, roaches, etc. Here many dancers dance the same as they all look up to and imitate the acknowledged experienced dancers originally from the prairies.
There are alot of Crees, sioux and blackfeet especially in the Vancouver metro area, so the influence is easily seen.
Yet when these newer dancers dance in the prairies they stand out as not being up to par. The slower speed which they dance at, the lack of fitness, less knowledge of songs(especially trick songs), esteem on the arbor make them more unnoticeable than noticeable.
It has alot to do with self-confidence and knowledge or traditions... to give them that air of calmness, confidence and smoothness they are lacking.
At least with an indian trying to be the best dancer they can, they have in their blood a connection to native spirituality, which is a good foundation to learn the traditions and protocols of pow-wow, for a white, this will never exist and the aura of them imitating and disprespecting our ways is and has always been very strong in my area.
I doubt it will change no matter how contemporary and open pow-wows become.
Many of them will blend right in but on the arbor or on the drum there is no spirit there, it is missing as theirs is different to ours. Like the visor, they have not acheived the foundation of teachings, language, upbringing, heritage and pride...as another said, it is a lifestyle for us and for the white it is a weekend activity.
I always look hard when I see dancers with visors or headdresses, because I wonder what are they covering up? Their dancing gives them away to a certain point, but it is their behaviour that tells the truth.
People associating with them are guilty by association and this to myself brings their indianess into question!
The visor like all parts of ones regalia say something about your ancestry, but an awful lot about the person.
Kahkakew
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