The battle of battle river.

[fallendancer]

Should battle river have won in schmitizun dispite the lack of respect they had during the gathering. They may have sang really hard during the singing contest, but shouldn't behavior and conduct be included in the judging. You decide!

[BLAZIN'OJIB]

Batle River

Yeah I think some points should have been deducted for that round of contest, but then again I wasn't there to read the rules.
Its too bad when things like this happen at powwows,
It sucks when thing like this continue to happen at big contest powwows like schemitzun......too bad.

How many drums and which ones did actually show up though?

Blazin

[Native Snow Angel]

what happen? Battle River is the best!!!

[Harold]

Battle River Singers? Awesome singers. Very, very bad examples for any one! Drunks!
Is it their fault that someone in charge at Schemitzun chose to disregard their behaviour and to also disregard the rules? No.
Battle River singers cannot disqualify themselves. It is up to the committee who chooses to suck up to the big names like Blacklodge & Battle River. Every one seen this disgrace. Security seen it. Arena directors seen it. Committee members seen it. Yet, the committee still ignores the obvious.
You more or less have to adopt a Pequot to maintain the high suckin up by the committee.

Wayne Silas, Michael Roberts. You are good guys. You better distance yourselves from this bunch of hooligans.

[badbraids]

In most competition rules, there is a sentence in there that pertains to "The use of alcohol and drugs will be prohibited". Has this really ever been enforced?

I've seen several guys smokin up on the edges of pow-wow grounds. Actually seen guys coming in at 8:00 a.m. and make Grand entry at 12:00 noon, still reckin of alcohol.

What a joke and these drum groups end up going to the pay window. As someone said, get some nuts and eliminate these drum groups from competition for that session!!!

I've seen an MC or two do the same. Seen plenty of AD's still buzzin as well.

Rules and contracts are nothing but jokes when it comes right down to it.

Sorry to hear about Battle River and their tirades.

[pipestone]

what exactly happened out there? what did they do now? lol those guys are crazee boozers!

[n8tv_singer 4_life]

Ho-Wah! I guess I would like to know what exactly happened out there with Battle River. For those of us who didn't go out to Schemitzun we don't know the "scoop". Obviously they were either drinking at the drum or still drunk from the "49" the night before. Possibly??? I know these guy's and have to agree with some of these post's. They like to drink and it seems like it's getting the best of them.

I whole heartedly agree with you Harold. Your exactly right that the pow-wow committee out there pick's and chooses who should win and who should be "invited" to their pow-wow. It's lame. I been there done that. Don't really care if I ever go back out there.

Think I'll end here...........for now.

[Harold]

Sorry! Didn't think to give you all the scoop. Here it is - short form.

Some of these guys were drinking and scrapping with each other. Right at Grand Entry!. The Schemitzun committee were well aware of this. No, they should not have been deducted points. They should have been shown the gate!

Stupid!

Wayne & Michael had nothing to do with this. They just sang with them.

Just BR.

[Coyot_In_The_House]

Weak

Weak......
Harold, Point well taken as far as Battle River, but i'm curious....do you enjoy their music? I sure do. Matter of fact do you actually know just why there was a small fight between a couple of the boys (brothers..) Ya'know I read some of the words here on this site and it makes me really laugh. Yeah the Battle River boys like to party, but what about all the other groups out there who party. Are they drunks too? Then you had to go there and take a cheap shot on the Pequot Tribe......Hey dude where else can you go and get 4 grand just to show up and sing, as well as 3 hotel rooms, and can chose from 3 singing contests to compete in, you name it? I'm also to guess you feel Black Lodge won in 2001 because they were adopted by the Pow Wow Chairman the year before? I guess then maybe we should stop taking each other as relatives? You got some nerve man, and this is directed at alot of you folks out there.....Sure we have freedom of speech, but do your homework and find out the "scoop". Maybe folks should voice there concerns face to face instead of taking a weak shot on this board......I will say this though...What happened between the Battle River boys is their business. Was it right they had a fight at the Pow Wow, no....Was it handled by the committee? Your dam right it was.....Do I have anything else to say? Just stay tuned..............

[n8tv_singer 4_life]

Do I like Battle River and their music?
Hell Yeah!

I respect these young men very much as Singers. I sing with them from time to time as well.

Whatever happened out there. I'm sure I will hear the "whole" scoop on that. Real soon..............


Hey Coyot......sounds like you really have "high regards" for the Pequots. Enough to come here and defend them anyway. If they see this and have a "Coyot" contest next year. You'll for sure get First Place. Ayyyyeee!

Annyywayyzz..... I personally don't feel I have should to kiss anyone's hiney just to get "invited" to their pow-wow. It's not a secret that they have money out there. In my opinion that's about all they have. Also, your a little off base by saying the drums that go out to Connecticutt have a "choice of three different singing contests". Yeah right, like Mandaree or Eyabay would go out there and say. "Hey, we'll get into the Southern Contest this year." Doesn't work that way. Your drum is invited out there to compete in your particular catagory. Unless your talking about the Hand Drum or the newly invented Switch Contest. Then I just read you post wrong.

I would like to think the committee took care of this incident accordingly. Probably never know the "whole" story. Don't really care to. This Thread is crazy............. :Crazy

As NDN's we'll all get over it after the next "good" pow-wow......

:Tongue :Frog :Cooler :Cooler

[STATE]

This is a tough call. One point: they are one of the best singing groups. They bring alot of spirit to the dancers and the powwow whenever they sing. I know I enjoy watching and hearing them sing. Point two: exactly where is the line of behavior drawn? Alot of dancers, as well, party all night, miss grand entries, dance drunk or high and still hit the pay window. This is decided by the judges, who give the points on the ballots.
I cannot judge, cast the first stone and all of that. But we all know that competition powwows, big or small, are political. Only at traditional pow wows can you hope to find the old school respect and values that were once upheld and in place.
Also, there is always more than one side to every story and one person's viewpoint or heresay is just that.
Battle River is an excellent Original Drum Group, that is why pow wow committees invite the best of the best because everyone wants to see and hear the best compete. I know I do.

[ravinsisi]

I believe that whatever they did at that pow wow is between them and it's not really anyone's business. And as for the drinking there is lotz of people that do drink lotz. Singers and dancers. There are even pow wowz where some of the comittee are smokin just outside the grounds. But. It's not my place to judge them or look down on anyone. I know that none of us are any better than anyone. All we can do is be there. Be there for all of our people. I think it doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing ... or where you are going... it doesn't matter who you are ... or how old you are... there is always some little eyes watching what you do.... and admiring you.... I sometimes see little kids really admiring and looking up to people that seem to be really "cool" .... but what I see is someone who is lost... and drinking and doing drugs.... stuff I would prefer the children NOT to do ... but I try to remember that... there are children looking up to all of us.... learning!!
We are all role models... as adults we are being watched by those little eyes

[Kiwehnzii]

(it doesn't matter who you are ... or how old you are... there is always some little eyes watching what you do.... and admiring you.... I sometimes see little kids really admiring and looking up to people that seem to be really "cool" .... but what I see is someone who is lost... and drinking and doing drugs.... stuff I would prefer the children NOT to do ... but I try to remember that... there are children looking up to all of us.... learning!!
We are all role models... as adults we are being watched by those little eyes )

Exactly, ravinsisi, exactly. I really don't give a hoot if the committee condones this kind of stuff. It's their powwow. They can deduct points. They can do nothing if they wish. It's their reputation at stake.

But..... the singers should remember what they hopefully have been taught by their teachers. They have such a rich heritage. Their Grand mother is such a beautiful lady. The look of hurt on her face was enough to make a person want to cry.

I noticed that Uncle Royce Kingbird didn't sing with them. Wonder why? He did , however, sing at the next drum beside them.

I agree with everyone else concerning their singing. I love to hear them sing. They make everyone want to dance.

[Smokin' Ace]

The truth of the matter is this - yes, it might be "their business" and the committee might have turned their nose to this group's behavior, but in the pow-wow world, everyone sees everything - so yeah, they may have won the competition still, but their respect, along with the committee's, seems to have fallen a few notches with a lot of people.

I was not there to see this, but I love Battle River's music - I am saddened to hear that this happened, and I bet if you ask them, they are too.

When we make a decision to represent our people, those eyes follow you everywhere. Trust you me, I know, lol. But it's a decision that you make when you decide to sing or dance. Bottom line.

What other drums were there? Were there only 3 places in each category?

[KeetersCAT]

....ummmhey coyot...by the looks of the pucker on your jibs (AYE!)..you seem like you got in on some of that peqout pw money...hmmm...none the less..it still a FACT that not ALL the BEST OF THE BEST where invited out there to compete...then again there are plenty of drum groups (and dancers) that still have some pride and know a SHAM POW-WOW when they see one....:D