History professor performs traditional powwow song
Brittany Smith / News Editor
Clyde Ellis, associate professor of history, spoke Monday
night in Yeager Recital Hall about American Indian powwow
culture in his speech titled “This is a Good Way, Get
Up and Dance: A Look at Contemporary Plains Indian Powwow
Culture.”
Ellis explained that powwows were and still are a key part
of American Indian culture. He described how the culture
adapted over the years and still remains prominent in modern
American Indian societies. “Powwows were more than a
fraternity of fighting men,” he said. “They were
people expressing their opinion to sway the masses and to
pass down the posterity of generations.”
Everyone participated in powwows. All lines were crossed:
gender, family, status, class, etc. “Who you were and
what you wore mattered,” Ellis said.
American Indian agents in the West understood the power of
American Indian powwows and tried to suppress them. They
tried to limit the number of dances to once a month in the
fall and winter because they feared them so much. However,
during assimilation the American Indians found a way to keep
their identity by decorating with traditional powwow symbols,
Ellis said. In the end, American Indian agents could not keep
the American Indians from dancing and had to give up their
fruitless efforts.
American Indians also joined the Wild West shows so they
could keep dancing. The shows provided them with money and
opportunities to travel as well as a way to keep up with
their traditional dances. However, the dances began to adapt
because the shows would only take the fastest and flashiest
dancers with the wildest costumes, Ellis explained to the
audience of students, faculty and community.
Powwow culture also changed again after World War I. It had
become a purely social event where people danced for days at
festivals and competed for the best dancer awards. After WWI,
powwows returned to the more traditional role of sending off
warriors and celebrating their return.
His knowledge stemmed not only from extensive research, but
also from personal experiences. He learned much of his
knowledge from friends that had become like family. After the
lecture, Ellis and four of his friends performed a song while
beating a drum that would have been sung at a powwow. The
song held more meaning for Ellis after the man that taught it
to him passed away.
“Before powwows had been mostly visual for me,”
he said. “After he passed away and I sung the song for
the first time, I experienced the spiritual and emotional
power that powwows offer as well. The drum can revive people
and make them happy as well as affirm their position and help
to share memories.
“The presentation was excellent. I was impressed by
how well he had learned the culture from inside and
out,” Janet Warman, professor of English and education
said.
Ashley Brown, a student, was also impressed by Ellis’
presentation. “He definitely knew what he was talking
about,” she said. “I especially like all the
pictures from his past and others and the drums at the
end.”
Contact Brittany Smith at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247.
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