Downshifting for a week

It's been really hectic here. My oldest son returned home from the Detroit area (about 520 miles away) late Wednesday afternoon for a short vacation, and I've been trying to spend as much time with him as possible. That isn't very easy, since he arrived in the middle of a hectic week at work. I'll spare you the details.

But on Thursday we surprised and delighted my mom with a visit, and we all went out to dinner. As usual, I like to arrange surprises, and Phil had this scheme: He would call my mom's room, using my cell phone, from outdoors, while we walked inside and down the hall to her room. The plan was for her to be on the phone with him when we came through the door ... and a minute later, he would come walking through, too.

A beautiful scheme, except my cell phone lost its signal as soon as he walked inside. So there was nobody on the phone when he walked in ... but she was very happy, anyway. We talked for a while and then went to Hardee's for supper.

Aside from that, we've watched a few movies and Tigers games on TV. On Saturday, I'll have some work duties, but we will have a little more time to visit. I sure wish he could have picked a different week to visit, though.

If he had visited last week, maybe he would have gone to the powwow with us last Saturday. (Whew! I figured out a segue.)

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You may be wondering: What about the powwow pictures? I processed and uploaded them Tuesday night, planning to write Wednesday--but then Phil arrived, and it's been hectic ever since. Tonight, though, he went to bed early, so now's my chance.)

It was quite an occasion. A beautiful, sunny day for one of the most colorful events you could ever imagine. It took place about 50 miles away, at the old village site of a local band of Ojibwe Indians (also known as Chippewas and Anishanabe; in fact, this band uses "Chippewa" in its name instead of "Ojibwe.") These were the people who were living here when the American pioneers started moving in. Because of treaties, the Indian-controlled lands became smaller and smaller.

Many of you have heard the word powwow but don't know what a powwow is. So I'll help you.

A powwow takes place in a circular arena, with spectators on the outside and an arbor covered with pine boughs in the center. That's where the drums were located. Each "drum" is a group of four to six drummers, beating on a large drum while singing their songs in their language.

Of course I don't know their language, but that wasn't a concern. A master of ceremonies introduces each of the drums and tells what kind of song they will be singing. Sadly, the language is dying out, but there is a determined effort to preserve it and teach it to the young people.

The powwow started with the grand entry. The men and veterans entered first, carrying flags and eagle staffs ...


They were followed by the women ...


... and the young men, and the girls in vivid capes, soaring like birds ...


All ages take part in the powwow, from the old men and women to the very young ...


There was incredible regalia all over. Here are some of the jingle dancers ...


Eagle feathers were featured on men and women alike. This is a feather bustle ...


There even was an eagle feather headdress--just one of those ...


More beautiful capes were worn by the young girls ...

Do you see what the woman in the black jingle dress is carrying?

I was amazed when first I saw the bear dancer two years ago. This year, he was back ...

Imagine how hot that bearskin gets for a dancer working in the bright sunlight--it was about 80 degrees.

All groups got their own dances. The boys, the girls, the women and the men. This dance was a highlight.


Of course we got hungry, but they had plenty of good food available, along with vendors for clothing and jewelry. My wife bought a dream catcher, on which she is going to put some of her special treasures.

As for a meal, this is what I was looking for: a piece of frybread, upon which I spread some peanut butter, with margarine on one end (for my wife, who doesn't like peanut butter). Take a look at the size of this and guess how much it cost ...

It cost me all of $1. And it was delicious.

After it ended, as we were walking to the car, we saw a large eagle flying overhead--just like the eagle we saw at the powwow two years ago. Except, when I examined this picture later, I suspect this is not an eagle but instead a large raven (a bird also revered by the Native Americans, though nowhere near as much as an eagle). This bird had a dark head and tail feathers--but so do young eagles. Are there any bird experts out there who can say whether this is an eagle or a raven?



We did not repeat a visit we had made the earlier time, but I'll include this picture, too. It was taken at the 2004 powwow, and it was taken at the cemetery, located nearby ...


These are the spirit houses, which were built over the graves of the deceased. Visitors would leave food or tobacco or other items for the deceased person to use and enjoy. Also, look at all the military markers and flags. We saw them on many of the graves.

In fact, there are spirit houses at a county park near our house, where an Ojibwe community lived about a century ago. When the park was created in the 1920s, the spirit houses were repaired, and they keep on repairing them to this day. Someday I'll have to stop over there and get a few pictures.

So there you are. As powwows go, this was a small one, but Native Americans--mainly Ojibwes but also from other tribes and bands in the region--make this a summer highlight, traveling from one to another on weekends. There was no admission fee, and we were not the only whites attending and enjoying ourselves immensely.

Another highlight of a summer season that is rapidly ending.