Have I told you I like going to Pow Wows? I believe so. There are a lot of emotions to experience, if you open yourself up to them.
This can be a religious experience. Not a specific religion. A personal religion of giving and caring for others and the planet. It is a connection you make with your environment and with people, specifically the people surrounding who you do not even know. There is a reverence for your family heritage, and a huge reverence for one’s elders.
The Pow Wow also give great respect to our warriors. A wonderful ceremony to honor our veterans and those who have fought before us. It displays the deepest respect for them. I cannot help but choke and tear up for their importance to us and our history, and to their great sacrifice for our way of life. I always think of my dad during this. He is laid to rest at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL. The service the military gave my dad was wonderful. The Pow Wow ceremony brings it to a totally different level, and you can repeat that feeling each Pow Wow you go to.
Each Native American organization and their Pow Wows have different requirements. Meaning, some require all Native American vendors, some all-Native American made items, and some allow a little more commercialism to intertwine. From what I saw of this Pow Wow, there was a little commercialism thrown in. That generally ties to higher prices, believe it or not. Items made by Native Americans from my point of interest were the better deal, and for me the closer to the artist, the hands that made the item, the more fulfilling it is for me.
In the past I have bought a lot of Native American items
like pottery and paintings. Native Americans are true to their art. They do not
reproduce items from a master per se. They make everything individually by hand. I mention that, because I bought (still
have) a watercolor of Bisons. Very nicely done. I went to Michael’s to have it
framed, and the person commented that it is a very nice print. I had to tell
her no; it is an original. She argued. She asked was there others too, I said
yes, and that totally locked her into her staunch response. She did not finish
listening that the others were not identical, but close. Slightly different
positions of the bison, different number of bison, different color / contrasts.
Besides the guy telling me it was original. I bought paintings by a local
artist (South Holland). I went to his house one day to pick up my Lakota George
made flute that I had this artist add some paint design to (only cost me $5). He
noticed I was looking at the art on his wall and staring at one piece that was
the same exact theme and style as mine. I already knew it was different. However,
he did comment so that there was no confusion that this piece was different
than mine. All his work is original hand painted. (I was looking closely to see
if I liked the one hanging more than the one I bought. I liked the one I bought
more.)
Enjoy the photographs!
On the way home we passed this house, with a native garden in front, that appeared to be registered as a natural habitat like our back yard. It was really nice to see.
