Gathering of Nations 2013, Part 2: A Whole 'Nother Music Genre

Gathering of Nations 2013, New Mexico

From my experience at the Red Paint Powwow, I knew about the (big) drum contests, but I didn't know anything about the hand drums.

It opened up an entirely new genre of  music to me. Totally unexpected experience.

Sometimes one, sometimes two, sometimes a group of people standing in front of the mic, holding hand drums. First they'd sing in a Native language, then there'd be a pause, and then the song would be in English. Romantic at times. Poignant. Funny.

They're "round dance"songs. 



A sampling of songs 

Ask Your Mom For Fifty Cents 

Ask your mom for fifty cents

To watch the fat man jump the fence

He jumped so high he touched the sky

He never came down til Fourth of July. 

Just for You

I don't know what to do 

I can't just say I love you

After all we've been through

What am I supposed to do

I've always been meant just for you.

What a voice.

Sonny Boy

Sonny boy, Daddy's proud of you

In every thing you do

Daddy's here for you

Sonny boy, Daddy cares for you

Daddy loves you, too

You are Daddy's pride and joy

What is a round dance song? 

I found this remembrance on a youtube video of a round dance song, Honey Open the Door:

Imagine this, when I was a kid in the 50;s, rounddances were held in people's houses,teams of horses and sleighs would arrive with singers and dancers. Us kids would play outside till we had enough, the house would be rocking, the room blue with smoke. There'd be deer meat soup and boiled potatoes and of course bannock and lard, berries and canned milk. Granny would make us a bed somewhere and we'd watch and listen till we fell asleep.

Chickamauga Cherokee gives a bit of explanation about round dance music, with an excerpt below: 

The origins of Round Dance come from the healing dances of the Plains Indians – it retains its spiritual core and inspires joy and happiness – men and women, young and old dance in a spectacular display of kinship and harmony.  It has developed into a friendship dance that has long been held as a courting activity. This dance is one of the few Native American dances in which women get to dance with men. Native American traditional dances are usually segregated by gender.  It is performed during a portion of a powwow and during many social occasions. The round dance has an infectious upbeat tempo and creates a simple and fun activity. The beat of the drum is different from other dances.

A Saskatchewan library hosted a round dance in 2011, and noted this:

Protocol
First Nation protocol and information for the pipe ceremony and feast [which would precede the round dance]: Women who are on their monthly cycle must refrain from attending.  [Emphasis added.] Women are encouraged to wear a long skirt to all traditional gatherings.

The text above that I highlighted in pink is a good example of what I was talking about back here - the restrictions on women's self-determination in the guise of culture, religion, "respect," or "protection." The fact that a public library in Canada prohibited some of its members from attending a public event, based on their gender, is repellent.

But I digress.

I love the round dance songs and plan to listen to many more of them. 

Gathering of Nations 2013, Part 1

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Several folks have remarked to me that they like small powwows more than large ones. The Gathering of Nations is certainly in the large category, billed as the largest powwow in North America.

Now having done both small and large, I'll agree with those who prefer the smaller events. On the other hand, an event as large as the Gathering of Nations brings perspectives you might not see at small powwows.

A mishmash of impressions below.

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Red Paint Powwow (January) in Silver City was my first powwow

This is where I learned about the components of some powwows. I went into considerable detail back then, and if you're interested, you can read about them in the links below, as I won't repeat them in the Gathering of Nations post.

Part 1: Golden Eagle
Part 2:  The Chinese Hopi
Part 3: The Gourd Dance
Part 4: The Grand Entry
Part 5: Gaan Dancers
Part 6: North and South and drum and Drum
  

The Gathering of Nations - in size - exceeded the Red Paint Powwow by a factor of, I don't know, a hundred. It's big.

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sound

The sound is excellent everywhere in the arena.

Bring earplugs - you never know where you might end up, and it might be right next to a monster speaker.

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Photos

Getting good photos is a challenge because you're either too far away or, if you're close to the performance floor, there are likely people standing in your line of sight.

Also, most people you want to photograph are moving - dancing, drumming, walking, jumping - and transferring in and out of your frame. While movement can result in beautiful photographs, it means you'll need to take lots of shots to guarantee a successful few.

One option is to forego the camera and live in the moment.

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sun

Holy mother, there is no shade in the outside area with the food vendors and the music stages.

If you'll be at the GON during the day, bring both a hat and sunglasses. The sun is brutal.

Note: You don't have to go outside if you don't want. There are also food vendors and artisan items indoors.  

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The emcee(s)

I attended the Gathering of Nations on Saturday, and it seemed there were two emcees, trading off. I couldn't help but compare the emcees at the GON with the emcee at Red Paint. All had liquid radio voices, pleasant to listen to. .

All expressed humor. Red Paint Powwow's emcee, Otis Half Moon, had a wry wit that touched on history, sociology, politics, even poverty.

I felt a couple of comments by one of the GON emcees were inappropriate, with references such as "give me some tongue" and "chasing tail."

Given the troubling reports of an appallingly high rate of sexual assault against Native girls and women by Native men - such comments felt, at best, tasteless, especially at a family event such as GON.

And especially with the Native American Women Warriors, aka "lady warriors," serving as this year's Color Guard (and given the U.S. military's disgusting tolerance of sexual assault of women soldiers by their male comrades and commanding officers.)

"Lady warriors"of the Color Guard, Gathering of Nations 2013, New Mexico.

A giving tradition

At GON, after the New Zealand Maori dance troupe finished, the blanket was laid out for donations to help them defray its travel costs. Perhaps on different days of GON or at different times, other groups benefit from blanket collections.

Gathering of Nations 2013, Albuquerque, New Mexico

I always smile when I think how Red Paint's emcee encouraged donations during a blanket collection, noting that even government cheese was welcome. (There was a time when I had to get me some of that government cheese.)

Next --> Part 2: A Whole New Music Genre