22nd Annual Snow Mountain Pow Wow

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This page last updated on 05/29/2017

The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe celebrated American Indian culture with southern Nevadans at its 22nd Annual Powwow on May 26th and 27th held at Snow Mountain, located just 20 miles north of downtown Las Vegas off of Route 95. This event is held here every year. The grounds circling the outdoor performance arena contained several food vendors and dozens of booths by artisans and crafters that provided a unique shopping experience. Items included Indian jewelry, pottery, flutes, traditional Indian music, blankets and baskets. Coinciding with Memorial Day Weekend, the 12:00 p.m. grand entry opening ceremony honored all Veterans who have served in the United States of America armed forces. The Southern Paiute Veteran Association led an honor guard and performed a Native American salute, including a unique version of the widely recognized, traditional military Taps song that was then followed by a Veterans Honor Dance Contest.

History of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe: The Tudinu (or Desert People), ancestors of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, occupied the territory encompassing part of the Colorado River, most of Southeastern Nevada and parts of both Southern California and Utah. Outsiders who came to the Paiutes’ territory often described the land as harsh, arid and barren; however the Paiutes developed a culture suited to the diverse land and its resources. A booming railroad town brought an end to the Paiutes’ free movement and traditional way of life, depriving them of their own land. On December 30, 1911, ranch owner Helen J. Stewart deeded 10 acres in downtown Las Vegas to the Paiutes, establishing the Las Vegas Paiute Colony. In 1970 they were recognized as a Sovereign Nation. Through an Act of Congress of 1983, an additional 3,800 acres of land returned to Paiute possession at the Snow Mountain Reservation. Over the years since, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe developed a thriving cigarette retail business at its downtown Tribal Smoke Shop. In addition, the Tribe also operates a Smokeshop and gas station at the Snow Mountain Reservation. On March 1, 1994, the Tribe opened its first golf course, designed by Pete Dye. It has since opened two additional courses and has a beautiful clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant and banquet facilities.

What is a Powwow? It’s a time, and a celebration, whereby various tribes gather to renew thought of the old ways and to preserve their rich heritage through music and dance. There are several different stories of how the powwow was started. Some believe that the War dance Societies of the Ponca and other Southern Plains Tribes were the origin of the powwow. Another belief is that when the Native American tribes were forced onto reservations the government also forced them to have dances for the public to come and see. Before each dance they were lead through the town in a parade, which is the beginning of the Grand Entry. Though dancing is the primary focus of a Powwow, the singers and drummers are a vital key to Native American culture. Without them there would be no dancing. The music and songs are of many varieties, from religious to war to social and are reminders to the Indian people of their old ways and rich heritage. Dances have always been a very important part of the life of the American Indian. Most dances seen at Powwows today are social dances which might have had different meanings and importance in earlier days. The colorful traditional dress worn by the dancers often have tribal meaning, yet like the styles of clothing today evolve over time; it is not a stagnant culture, but a vibrant and changing way of life.

The Drum: The drum is the heartbeat and central pulse of any Native American powwow.  A "drum" is a group of singers (usually 5-10 members) who sing as they beat in unison a rhythm on a large drum. Each drum had a lead singer and a "second" who repeats the lead line on a different key. Drums are positioned around the edge of the dance arena. These drummers and singers (usually men) are very important to any Powwow as they must know several types of songs for all the different dances. Each drum has it own style, such as Northern or Southern. All songs are sung four times, a sacred number in the Native American tradition. Most songs have no actual words but are syllable that carry the melody and meaning of the song. These syllable are called vocables and may be sung in either English or Native languages.

Native American Dance Styles: Dance is one of the most beautiful parts of Native American culture and a key element of any Powwow. Generations of Native Americans have developed a variety of dances and dance styles for many different kinds of occasions. Dance participants, in the form of tribes or families, perform a variety of dance styles competing for prize money and recognition. There are categories for every age group; Junior (6-12), Teen (13-17), Jr. Adult (18-34),  Sr. Adult ( 35-49), and Golden Age (50 +). Each age group features men and women’s competitions and may have up to five or six individual dance styles, including those listed below.

The Straight Dance: The Straight Dance from Oklahoma Native American Tribes is a formal, tailored, prestigious form of southern dance clothes. The overall effect is of reassuring solidity, with everything closely matched and coordinated.   It looks as if it is planned all at one time. It is believed that the Ponca tribe of American Indians created this style.  There are a lot of clothes to wear in the outfit, and accordingly the dance is slow and proud.  The art of straight Dancing is in the little, sometimes unnoticed things, both in the movement and the outfit. Smoothness, precision with the song, knowledge of dance etiquette, and a powerful sense of pride mark the outstanding Straight Dancer. A Straight Dancer will carry either a mirror board or a tail stick in their right hand.  The tail stick originated as the badge of office of a Tail Dancer in a Hethuska Society.  Today the tail stick is carried by many dancers in and out of the Hethuska Dance.  A tail stick is usually given to a Straight Dancer by another experienced dancer.  A mirror board is a substitute for the tail stick, and may be carried by any dancer.

Ladies Cloth Dance: The Ladies Cloth is a form of Native American women's dress and dance and has both a Northern and Southern style. The Southern style is danced by the Kiowas, Osage, Ponca, and others. The Northern style is danced by the Sioux, Crow, and others. The dance is a slow and graceful one much like the Women's Buckskin style. There are many variations among Native American Tribes with the outfit, including wearing a cloth dress or a wool dress. The boots are a high top moccasin that is usually partially beaded. The dress is a long dress with open sleeves. The bottom of the dress is covered in a wrap that is usually a contrasting color or pattern. The wrap is sometimes fringed like a shawl.

Jingle Dress Dance: The Jingle Dress is also called a Prayer Dress. There are differences in the origins of the dress among the tribes. The dress was seen in a dream, as an object to bring healing to afflicted people. It comes from the Northern Tribe Ojibewea or Chippewa, along the Canadian border. A Medicine Man's Granddaughter became very ill one day. In a dream, his spirit guides told him to make a Jingle dress for her and have her dance in it. Jingle Dresses are decorated with rolled up snuff can lids that are hung with ribbon and then sewed to the dress, close enough so they can hit together, causing a beautiful sound. If you listen carefully when they pass by, it sounds as though it were raining!

Ladies Fancy Shawl Dance: Ladies Fancy Shawl is the newest form of Native American Women's Dance, and is quite athletic! Fancy Shawl, similar to the Men’s Fancy Dance, is often called Northern Shawl, as it does come form the Northern Tribes along the U.S. and Canadian Border. The ladies wear their shawls over their shoulders, and dance by jumping and spinning around, keeping time with the music. They mimic butterflies in flight, and the dance style is quite graceful and light. Emphasis is paid particularly to the shawls, with elaborate designs, applique, ribbon work, and painting. Long fringe hangs from the edges of the shawl, and flies round.

Men’s Fancy Dance: The Oklahoma Feather Dance or "Fancy Dance" is one of the most popular styles of Native American dance and outfits seen at modern Powwows. The "Fancy Dance" originated as Fancy War Dance by the Hethuska Society in Oklahoma and was invented by Gus McDonald, the first World Champion Fancy War Dancer. The most obvious items in the Fancy Dance outfit are great amounts of loom beaded sets of suspenders, belt cuffs, headband, and armbands. The other trademark for Fancy Dancers is the use of large feather bustles. Currently most bustles are color-coordinated with the bead work by using large amounts of feather hackles dyed the appropriate colors.

Grass Dance: Originally done as a Warrior Society Dance, it has evolved over the years into a highly-competitive form of northern dancing. Grass Dancers always stands out by virtue of two things: his dancing style and his outfit. His dancing has been described often by these words:" gutsy, swinging, slick, old-time," etc. His outfit stands out by virtue of the almost complete absence of feathers, for aside from the roach feather, there are no bustles of any kind to be seen. The outfit consists of shirt and pants, with beaded or otherwise decorated belt and side tabs, armbands, cuffs, and front and back apron, with matched headband and moccasins. The perfect headdress is the porcupine hair roach which is attached to a head harness. It is decorated with rosettes, hearts, etc., and long drop stripped with fluffs, or drops made from chains or cafe curtain rings. Dancers often carry fans, Eagle-bone or carved ‘screen” whistles, mirror boards, and dance hoops of various sizes.

Northern Traditional Dance: The Northern Traditional Dancer is a modern evolution of tribal outfits from the tribes of the Northern Plains such as Sioux, Blackfoot, Crow, Omaha and others. There are many variations to the dress from area to area and from tribe to tribe. On his head the Traditional Dancer wears a roach made of porcupine hair and deer tail hair. The longer porcupine hair is preferred because of it’s movement. The roach spreader can be made of bone, metal, rawhide or leather. It can be carved, beaded, painted, etc. or just left plain. The roach feathers are inserted in sockets on the spreader, with two roach feathers being the usual number. In his hands, the dancer can carry a range of objects, commonly being a wing fan, pipe bag, dance stick, bow, etc. The movement in this style is one that is sometimes characterized as similar to a prairie chicken. The dancer is also said to be re-enacting the movement of a warrior searching for the enemy.

              

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Slideshow Description: The slideshow above contains 67 pictures that were taken at the 2012, 22nd Annual Snow Mountain Powwow. Return to the ... Paiute Pow Wows - Summary Page.