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THE DANCING COLORS:
THE ANISHNABEK’S POWWOW REGALIA

By

Varoonvarn Svangsopakul

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fiilfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
College of Communication Arts and Sciences
Department of Telecommunication

1997

ABSTRACT

THE DANCING COLORS:
THE ANISHNABEK’S POWWOW REGALIA

By

Varoonvam Svangsopakul

This paper is a supplement to a 33-minute video production thesis, The Dancing

Colors: The Anishnabek’s Powwow Regalia. This production thesis intends to use video

 

documentary as a medium to enhance the audience’s knowledge of a Native American
group, the Anishnabek. The target audience of this documentary are Thai people, who are
likely have misperceptions about Native Americans, particularly as the result of Western
movies.

The program presents the essence of the Anishnabek’s contemporary arts, life, and
culture as exemplified through the powwow dance regalia. As a ‘living museum’, the
powwow and its dance regalia contain many symbolic representations of Native American
spirituality which are relatively unknown by people of other cultures. This paper and the
video capture both the tribal symbols as well as the personal symbols of individual dancers

in the powwow.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to thank my family for their never-ending love and
support. Without them, I would not be able to go through all these years here.

The video part of this production thesis would have not been possible without the
help of my two best friends, Tapanee Junhom and Weerasak Lertsiriyothin, to whom I
owe the most thanks. Living in Mt. Pleasant, Tapanee caught buses down to East Lansing
almost every weekend during the production period to help me out. Weerasak, in spite of
having hardships with his master’s thesis in packaging, gave me a hand every time I
needed it. They both traveled with me from powwow to powwow, from one
interviewee’s house to another, assisting me with the shootings.

I would like to thank Chatchai Saipetch for his effort on the narration although it
was not used in the program due to a technical problem. Thanks are also extended to
other friends both in Thailand and the USA--Dr. Roger Everett, Chaweewon
Wongwarangkul, Uruchaya Sonchaeng, Nattanun Sukakul, Krisada Kirnseng, and
Paradom Ramaboot, for their kindnesses.

For the content of the video and this paper, I am thankful to Marsha MacDowell of
the MSU Museum and Marclay Crampton of the Nokomis Learning Center who helped
me with the fundamental knowledge about powwows. I also would like to thank Native

American organizations for letting me film during their powwows. Very special thanks go

to all interviewees and every dancer who appeared on the video. Without them, this
documentary could not be called The Dancing Colors. “Megwetch-Thank you”
Lastly, I would like to thank my thesis committee, Dr. Thomas Muth, Lisa
Whiting, and especially Robert Albers who is my thesis advisor for his patience,
suggestions, and encouragement. I remembered Bob once said to me, while I was

deciding on a topic, “do something you will be proud of.” And I have.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. THE STORY OF THE ANTSHNABEK AND POWWOW
A. The Anishnabek
0 Brief History
0 The Anishnabek Today
B. Powwow
0 Ancient Gathering
C. Michigan Indian Powwow
0 Evolution
0 Contemporary Components
D. Contemporary Michigan Powwow Dance Regalia
0 Styles of Dance Regalia
0 Cultural Expression and Symbolic Meaning on Dance Regalia

III. THE DOCUMENTARY
Definition
History
Documentary Personality Types
Documentary Styles

IV. ABOUT THE VIDEO
Title Interpretation
Documentary Type
Presentation Style
Production Process
Program Segment and Interpretation

V. EVALUATION & CONCLUSION
Evaluation
Conclusion

NOTES

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21
21
22
24
25

27
27
27
28
29
31

34
34
39

4o

APPENDICES
Appendix A: Video Script
Appendix B: The Interviewees
Appendix C: Evaluation Questionnaire

BIBLIOGRAPHY

42
42
59
63

67

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

During the last five decades, some aspects of modern American culture have
penetrated into Thai urban society, especially in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city. Thai
people, and the younger generation in particular, have absorbed much from American
culture. In contrast to their knowledge of American pop culture, Thai people know little
about North America’s native people, the so-called Red Indians. Their only images of
Native Americans have come from western movies which portray the Native Americans
inaccurately. Unfortunately, there rarely are any non-fictional programs about Native
Americans, their history or their stories on Thai television to counteract the inaccurate
information that they get from the movies.

The thirty-three-minute video documentary thesis entitled The Dancig Colors:
The Anishnabek’s Powwow Regal_ia has been produced out of the experience of one Thai
person’s direct experience with Native Americans with the purpose of sharing her
experience with Thai viewers in Thailand. The documentary presents an accurate picture
of a Native American group, the Anishnabek, in order to create a deeper and more
comprehensive understanding of Native Americans among Thai people. Since Thai
traditional culture and wisdom are in decline, another intent is to inspire the audience to

look back at their own heritage and preserve it just as the Native Americans, whose ritual

2
ceremonies were officially banned in the United States for 30 years (fi'om 1904 to 1934),

have been struggling to do.

The Danang Colors presents 113333ng of Native American culture mugb the, ..
contemporary powwow dance regalia of the Anishnabek - a group of Native Americans
living in Michigan and the surrounding Great Lakes area. Powwow is the oldest
continuing tradition of Native American. As an event that occurs nearly every weekend
across the United States, powwow is also the Native American traditional event that is
most open and easily accessible to outsiders. In its dances, drums, craft trading, and
colorful dance regalia, the powwow is considered a living museum, and as such is the best
source for getting to know Native American culture both traditionally and contemporarily.
The powwow dance regalia is interesting not only because it contains tribal symbols of
Native American spirituality rarely known by others, but also because it tells the personal
stories of the dancers.

‘This paper is a supplement to the video program. It provides additional

.c-pw'W“" " ' '1 m... sm'm

 

 

background information of )hg Anishnabek, the powwow, and the dance regalia that is not

'WmomHm-‘V ‘

found in the video presentation. Many interesting stories from the dancers that could not
be put into the video are laid out here. In addition to the background information, the
video production techniques and the documentary interpretation are described, as well as

the refiltiof' a sam le ' ' n.

CHAPTER I]

THE STORY OF THE ANISHNABEK AND POWWOW

A. The Anishnabek

The ‘Anishnabek, Anishnabeg, or Anishnabe’ means ‘real people.’ It refers to
Native Americans (Indian) who descended from three historic tribes of the Great Lakes
area, the Ojibwa (Chippewa), The Ottawa (Odawa), and the Potawatorni. Their main

habitats were in Michigan, both lower peninsula and upper peninsula.

Brief History

In the legend, the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi originally were one tribe.
They were divided into three after migrating to the Great Lakes Region about a thousand
years ago. However they still spoke the same Algonquin language and shared similar
cultural beliefs. Before 1620, the era of European contact, they lived like brothers and

organized a confederacy called the Three F ires.l

The Ojibwa: The elder brother

According to their oral tradition, historians believed that the Ojibwa, so-called
Chippewa by the Europeans, came from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River on the
eastern seaboard afier late A.D.900. Ojibwa life required high mobility to survive. They

constantly moved for hunting, fishing and gathering wild rice. Until the beginning of the
3

4

19th century, before the period of American settlement, their lands were along the eastern

coast of Lower Michigan and most of the Michigan Upper Peninsula.

The Ottawa: The next older brother

”2 Ottawa were

Ottawa, or Adawa in Algonquin language, means ‘10 trade.
excellent intertribal traders. Moving from their home in Ontario, Canada in the 1700’s,
they sought lakeshore lands for growing crops. They finally settled along the eastern

shore of Lake Michigan starting from Mackinac to Grand River.

The Potawatomi: The yourger brother and the people of the place of fire

Migrating to the southern part of Michigan in AD 1450, the Potawatomi had to
adjust themselves to a new environment. Therefore they developed different skills,
language and patterns of life from their two older brothers. They called themselves
Neshnabek instead of Anishnabeg and became a horticultural society, living more
permanently. Their territory in Lower Michigan, occupied in the early 1900’s, stretched

from Kalamazoo River and Detroit down to the south.

During the era of American settlement, these native people were forced to move
out of their land by many treaties. Some moved out of Michigan to the West while some
migrated back to Canada. Any Indians who did not want to leave their homeland were put

in Indian Reservations.

The Anishnabek today

Nowadays the Anishnabek, as American citizens, can move anywhere they wish in
the United States without being forced by law to live in the reservations. Only one-third
of Michigan Indians live in those reservations. They eventually move to big cities like
Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, and Grand Rapids for jobs and education. According
to 1990 US Census data, there are almost 59,000 American Indians, or about 30% of all
American Indians in the US, living in Michigan today.

An Anishnabek today may enroll in a Federally recognized tribe or a State
recognized tribe. Being a member of these tribes, one can receive support from the
federal government or state government. According to the Michigan Commission on
Indian Affairs, there are eleven federally recognized tribes and four state-recognized tribes
in Michigan at present.

Federally recognized tribes:

0 Bay Mills Chippewa Indian Community (Brimley, MI)

0 Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians (Suttons Bay, MI)

0 Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community (W rlson, MI)

0 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (Baraga, MI)

0 Lac Vreux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Watersmeet, MI)

0 Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (Mt.Pleasant, MI)

0 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi (Dowagiac, MI)

0 Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians (Petoskey, MI)

0 Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Manistee, MI)

6
o Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)

0 Huron Potawatomi (Fulton, MI)

State-recognized tribes (or Historic tribes):

o Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Brutus, MI)

0 Gun Lake Band of Grand River Ottawa Indians (Grand Ledge, MI)

0 Swan Creek Black River Confederated Ojibwa Tribes of Michigan
(Saginaw, MI)

0 Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians (Grand Rapids, MI)

B. The Powwow

The term ‘powwow’ was derived fi'om the Narragansett, an Algonguin language,
‘pau au. ’ Pau an or pau wau was a gathering of medicine men and spiritual leaders in a
curing ceremony. This word now becomes an English word referring to large Indian
gatherings.3

The best place to learn contemporary American Indian culture is not a showcase in
a museum, but at a powwow. Powwow is not a performance for a paying audience, but a
traditional gathering of tribes which happens almost every weekend and everywhere in the
United States.

In Contemmrm Great Lakes Pow wow Regalia: Nda Maarnawigaami (Together

We Dance), Marsha MacDowell organized the purposes of powwow into four aspects:

 

spiritual, social, cultural, and economic. Spiritually, powwows are communal events for
Native Americans “to celebrate life and to give thanks” for the many gifts given to them

through Mother Earth by the Creator - also called Grandfather or Giche Manitou or God.

7

Socially, powwows are the forum where ceremonies of life are performed: celebrating
birthdays, giving names, passing the eagle feathers, and announcing and remembering
deaths. Powwows serve as a way for Native Americans to meet old fiiends, to create new
fiiendships, and to exchange news and information. Culturally, powwows mean to “pass
on traditional language, song, dance, crafis, and other customs.” Economically,
powwows are places where Native American traders can sell food and crafts. In
competition powwows, dancers, singers and artists can get prize money from dances,
drums, and artisans contest. In her book, MacDowell also concluded that “in short, a
powwow is a time and place to honor past and present community members, to celebrate
life and creation, to give thanks, to enjoy the company of family and friends, and to pass

on the knowledge of elders to youth.”"

Ancient Gathering

Traditionally native tribes of America would often join together and celebrate
seasonal events and life ceremonies: harvesting, successful hunting, warfare, naming
ceremonies, marriage, curing ceremonies, and funerals, for example. In these gatherings
dancing was commonly one of primary activities. There were numerous dances named
difl’erently to serve various purposes, such as Sun Dance, War Dance, Corn Grinding
Dance, and Ghost Dance, performed in the previous day.

From late 1800’s to early 1900’s, many Indian traditional ceremonies including
some of these dances had been prohibited by the US. Government due to the federal
policy of civilizing and christianizing the Indians. Native children were sent to missionary

schools far from home and were forbidden to speak their own languages or to follow their

8

tribal belief system. The intention was to eradicate Indian culture which was considered
barbaric by the American government.

The government finally lifted that ban in 1934. Although the new generation
assimilated some concepts of Christianity and the American way of life, their profoundly
embedded traditional values survived. The ancient gathering or powwow, originated in
1877 among Oklahoma tribes, was rejuvenated in the mid-twentieth century and became

the forerunner of present-day powwows.’

C. Michigan Indian Powwow

Evolution

During the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, Powwows were wide-spread
across the nation. In Michigan, some of the first powwows were held by the Catholic
Ottawa at Old Waganakisi (became Harbor Springs, Petosky and Cross Village today).
Another model of modern Michigan powwows was the inter-tribal gatherings initiated by
a small group of Indians in Isabella Reservation. This group was led by an Indian elder,
Eli Thomas, and comprised of dancers from various tribes. There were activities during
each of their gatherings. Among them were aftemoon and evening performances, social
Indian dances, story telling, artistic craft displays, and selling of Indian corn soup and qua
bread (a kind of fly bread).6

Since then, many organizations have helped develop the growth of contemporary
powwows. In the rural areas, there have been dances of the Indian Village program in

Tawas, singing and dancing of the Grand Valley American Indian lodge, and the Grand

9

River American Indian Society whose first annual powwow took place in June 1965 in
Lansing. In the urban areas, the North American Indian club in Detroit is one of the
important educational centers of North America. They organized some of the oldest
urban gatherings.7

Nowadays powwows occur year round (mostly in summer) everywhere all over
Michigan by local Indian organizations, tribal councils, academic institutions, private
Indian groups, etc. Some are annual gatherings while others are for special occasions.

Since the old days, the powwow has been changing in its face and form. Some
ancient rituals have been transformed to fit modern life. At the same time new activities
and dance styles have also been added. One distinctive addition is the dancing competition
for prize money which is believed to be a significant draw for some present powwow
participants. There is no wonder that this living tradition will continue and evolve as long

as Native Americans are alive.

Contemporary components
I . m

In the present time, powwows can be held both indoors and outdoors depending
on weather conditions. No matter where it is, that place should be flat enough for dancing
and big enough to contain all participants and traders. Contemporary Michigan powwow
sites are always in circular shapes to represent the “Circle of Life,” a very important belief
in Indian culture. The construction of the site consists of two areas: the circular dance

arena and the traders’ circle.

10
II. The Dance Arena

The dance arena is where major activities of a powwow take place. Among
them are drum and song, dances, and give-away.

- Drum and Song

Drum does not only mean the instrument itself, but also a group of people who

play and sing around the drum. Although in some powwows a drum may be located on
the edge of the dance arena, it is usually set in the center because it is the heart beat of
powwow. It also represents the heart beat of the Mother Earth. Since the dancers follow
the drum heat while dancing, it means that they are united with the Mother Earth. The
songs are mostly vocables - non-language sounds, (ex. Ah Hey Yah Ho,) that carry
melody instead of words - to eliminate the problem of different tribal languages.

0 Dances

There are many kinds of dances performed in a powwow. One example is the

Grand Entry. The Grand Entry can be considered an open ceremony. Head people,
princesses, and dancers parade into the dance arena bringing with them the American flag,
the Canadian flag, tribal flags, and the eagle staff - the national flag of American Indians.
In the Veterans dance, only veterans can participate. Many American Indians served in
the US. Army during past wars such as the World War I, and the Vietnam War. Indian
society highly honors veterans just as their ancestors used to honor the warriors. Then,
Welcome dance follows to honor and welcome participants fiom different areas. Next is
the Inter-tribal dance when everyone can dance regardless of race, gender, or age. There

is no need to wear a dance regalia to be able to dance inter-tribal. Another dance that

1 1
requires no regalia is the Social dance. Typical Great Lakes Indian Social Dances are the

Round Dance, Snake Dance, Corn Hops, and two-steps.8

In contrast to the above dances, Exhibit dancers need particular dance regalia
to be able to participate in these colorfirl dances. Commonly there are six styles of Exhibit
dances in Michigan powwow: Men’s Traditional, Women’s Traditional, Grass, Imgle
Dress, Fancy, and Fancy Shawl. The styles of regalia vary according to styles of dances.
(These 6 styles of dance regalia will be the main focus of this production thesis and will be
discussed in detail later.) Sometimes Hoop, Eagle, or Partridge Dances may also be
performed during the Exhibit Dances. Using the same six styles of Exhibition Dance, the
Contest dances are another kind of dances added in a contest powwow. There is cash
prize for the dancers who win in each category, separated by age group and gender to
Seniors, Adults, Young Adults (Male and Female), Children, and Tiny Tots (Boys and
Girls). Honor dance is conducted for honoring individuals, or their families, who are
having important announcements or ceremonies. The honored persons are the first ones
who dance.

0 Give-Away

In Michigan powwows, the give-away usually occurs at the end of the event.

It is a ritual of giving gifts to members of the community to honor their accomplishments.

This implies that Indian communities live together with giving and sharing.

12

III. The Traders’ Circle

The traders’ circle is outside and around the dance arena. The traders’ Circle is

where Indian arts and crafts including raw materials for making regalia, furs, and herbs can

be found. There is also non-traditional and Indian traditional food for sale - such as Indian

fry bread, Taco, and Indian soup.

IV. The People

The powwow committee organizes everything in a Michigan Powwow and selects

the key personnel (head people) as followed:

The arena director - The one who manages the flow of participants in and out
of the circle and serves as a security supervisor.

The Master of Ceremonies (emcee) - He acts as an announcer communicating
with all dancers and participants.

The Head Veteran - The one who carries and takes care of the eagle stafl‘ and
leads the Grand Entry.

The Head Dancers - They are both male and female leading the dancers in
Grand Entry, Welcome dance, Honor dance, and Intertribal dance.

The Host Drum - The drum with good voice and strong beats who lead

other drums if they exist.

The Host Judge - A contest powwow requires the judges to score the dance

COHtCSt.

1 3
Other important participants:

0 The Princesses - Young ladies who represent their communities or cultural
clubs will be given this royalty. They wear beaded crowns and embroidered
sash and shawls to show their titles.

0 The Dancers - They come from many tribes and traditions as reflected by their
styles of dancing, and the colorlirl regalia. Their regalia can indicate their

dance styles, personal experience, tribal affiliation and belief system.

D. Contemporary Michigan Powwow Dance Regalia
The “regalia” or “outfits” are the two terms used to describe powwow dance
clothing. The word “costumes” will never be used because costumes mean clothing worn

in acting. Indian dancing is not an act but a part of one’s ongoing life and spiritual nature.

Styles of Dance Regalia

Basically, Michigan Indian dance regalia consists of bustles, headdresses,
breastplates, aprons, chokers, anklets, bells, leggings, shirts, sashes, and moccasins. The
additions of dresses, shawls and hairpieces are found in female dance regalia. While
dancing, the dancers also carry hand-held items such as feathered fans, dance sticks, war
clubs, rawhide shields, purse, and shawls. Having similar basic articles, each style of
dance regalia has its own distinctive character which varies according to the common six

exhibit dance styles of Michigan powwows.

14

Men’s Tragitionajgafie:

This is the oldest form of Indian dance. It is a storytelling dance because the
dancers’ movements represent the warrior’s hunting, stalking the game and battling an
enemy. They always face the enemy, never turning a complete circle. Since elements in
the regalia usually come fiom animals (eagles, bears, partridges, otters, etc.), their dancing
also mimic the animals’ gesture.

Traditional dance regalia is very natural and subdued in colors. Styles vary from
area to area, tribe to tribe, and person to person. Typically a male traditional dancer wears
a hair roach on his head. Otter turbans may be seen if that person’s ancestors were in a
medicine (Midewiwin) society. Although half-circle feathered bustles worn on the back
are becoming popular, the traditional Great Lakes bustles — a piece of cloth with feathers
attached - can still be seen. The dancer may wear a ribbon shirt or a leather shirt. Wom
over the shirt might be a bone breastplate. A yoke is worn around the shoulder. For the
lower part of the body, one may wear leather leggings while another does not.
Breechcloth and dusters usually cover the upper portion of the leggings. The rest of the

regalia is pretty much various.

Women’s Traditional Dance:

This dance is graceful with slight movement. The dancer steps to the ground
softly to show respect to the Mother Earth. Like the Men’s Traditional, the regalia is very
natural in color. Dresses are made of dark color clothes, buckskin, or wool. Applique'
work, beautifully beaded items, and megis shells' adornment help decorating the regalia.

Their breast plate is longer than men’s. The women dancers always cany feathered fans

15

and raise them during the honor beats of the songs. They also carry shawls over one arm.
This kind of regalia has many regional, tribal and personal differences like the Men’s

Traditional.

Men’s Grass Dag;

There are many stories telling the beginnings of the Grass dance. The most
popular one revealed that this dance came fi'om the scout dancing to flatten the high grass
in order to create a meeting, camping, or dancing site. This dance has been around the
Great Lakes areas for only the last two decades. The regalia is very colorful with
hundreds of long strands of yarn, ribbon, or fabric attached to the edges of almost every
piece of the regalia. These strands represent the grass itself. Real sweet grass may also be
added as an adornment. The sweet grass is considered “Hair of the Mother Earth.” The

dancers also wear hair roaches but not the bustles.

Women’s Jingle Drew:

Due to its origin, Jingle Dress is considered a healing dress and the Jingle Dress
Dance is a praying dance. This style of dance originated among the Ojibwa residing north
of Lake Superior. There seemed to be two different stories related to its origin. The first
one mentioned a medicine man who had a very ill daughter. He dreamt of a spirit in the
Jingle dress telling him to make this dress for his daughter and to help her dance in the
dress. After following the instruction, his daughter was cured. Another story is about a
young lady who wants to help her people fi'om physical, psychological and social ills. She

made a Jingle Dress as in her dream. By praying and adding one jingle cone to the dress

l6

everyday, she got a 365-cones Jingle Dress. It is the responsibility of women who wear
this dress to pray and to look out for the well being of Indian people. It is also believed
that if the dancers think of sick people while dancing, the sick persons will get well.

The Jingle Dress is made of a cloth, velvet, or leather base adorned with jingles
made fi'om tobacco cans’ lids. There should be 365 jingles on the dress. Since the cones
are placed closely together, there is a nice sound like a raining sound occurred when the

dancers move or dance.

Men’s Fancy Dan—cc:

This dance style is very new with a history of no later than 1850. It was first
created in the Wild West show, or Buffalo Bill show. It is fast and needs high athletic
ability. The dancer can dance as fancy as he likes, and he may decorate the regalia as
elaborate as he can imagine. The regalia represents the rainbow spirits. The brighter and
the more colorful it is, the better the dancer gets. Fancy dancers have two bustles upon
their backs and two small bustles on their shoulders. The beadwork, ribbon, feathers on
each article of the regalia are perfectly matched in design and color. The leggings are

made of angora.

Women’s Fancy Shawl Dan_ca:

This is the newest form of women’s dance and is quite athletic like the Men’s
Fancy. The Fancy Shawl regalia is quite colorful. The most important piece of it is a
large fiinged shawl which covers the dancer’s shoulders, arms, and goes down to the legs.

The shawl is often fiinged at the edge and decorated with colorful bead, applique', or

l7

sequins works. The designs on the shawls usually represent the clans the dancers belong

to. The shawl dancers mimic flying butterflies while dancing.

Cultural Expression and Symbolic Meaning of Dance Regalia

The regalia not only tells the styles of dances of the wearers but it also gives us a
knowledge of their contemporary culture and belief system. Through the designs and
symbolic objects on their regalia, the dancers express both tribal culture and their personal

lives.

The Arts and Crflsz
Since floral pattern is a unique characteristic of the Great Lakes Indian arts, there

are plenty of colorfirl floral designs on Michigan Indian dance regalia.9 Porcupine quill
used to be a popular technique in decorating regalia before the conring of Europeans.
Nevertheless, by 1800 the influx of European trade materials such as beads and ribbons
had a great impact on Great Lakes Indian artwork. Ribbonwork and woven beadwork
grew in popularity and complexity in the Great Lakes area throughout the nineteenth
century. At that time they were largely used in textile categories. 1° In the present day,

they are very popular techniques in Michigan powwow regalia adornment.

Symbolism and Cultural Beliefs:
Symbols, seen in the dance regalia, express Michigan Indian cultural believes. The

important symbols are as follows:

18

Sacred Circle - The Circle is commonly seen everywhere in powwow regalia.
Native Americans believe that everything is in a circle. The circle represents the
relatedness of all things and the interaction between Father Sky and Mother Earth. It also
symbolizes unity among American Indians, unity with Mother Earth (The earth is viewed
as the mother of the people and all other life forms), and the American way of life. The
circle is divided into four areas marked with four colors: white, red, yellow, and black
(some tribes use blue instead of black). The four colors mean four directions on earth,
four races of humans, four seasons of the year, and four important states of life. Dancers
always have medicine wheels (a symbol of the Circle) as part of their regalia. These
medicine wheels are usually on the top of the head so the Creator, the American Indians’
only God, can see the dancer.

Eagle feather - The eagle, represented by the thunderbird, is a sacred animal. The
thunderbird is believed to be the messenger of the Creator. In the old days, only
veterans/warriors, or highly honored people could have eagle feathers on their regalia If
the eagle feathers fall to the ground during any dances, all of the dancers have to stop and
veterans perform a special picking up ceremony. This is because a fallen eagle feather is
considered an injured warrior.

Feathered fan - This fan can be made fi'om any kind of feathers: eagle, hawk,
partridge, etc. The eagle feathered fan is the highest honor. Woman dancers raise their
fans in every honor beat of the drum to honor the Creator. The feathered fan in Jingle
Dress Dance is used to fan the healing prayer out to other people.

Three Fires Colors - consists of three colors: orange, red, and yellow. This

represents the Anishnabek because once they were called “People of the Three Fires.”

19

Colors - Using colors as symbols may vary in meaning according to the dancers.
However, there are some colors that have specific meanings. Apart fi'om the four colors
of the medicine wheel, green commonly represents the Mother Earth. Any dancers, who
have the colors of the American flag (red, white, and blue) on their regalia, certainly are
veterans.

Animals — Since the American Indians believe that everything in nature including
animals have spirits like human beings, many animal figures can be seen on the regalia.
One of the animal figures is a turtle. The turtle played a very important part in the
creation stories of the Great Lakes Indians. In the legend, various animals helped bring
mud up fiom the bottom of the Great Sea and put it on the turtle’s back. After that it
expanded and developed to be the land where we live presently. Mackinac Island is
frequently referred to as the Great Turtle. " In addition the animals can also represent the
clans where the dancers are from. For instance, a dancer with a bear paw shield may be in
a bear clan. A hawk on one’s regalia may be interpreted that the wearer is a descendent of
the thunderbird clan.

Megis Shell - According to the legend, it was a sacred gift from the Creator. Its
power can combat the evil forces in the world. '2 It is also believed that the Creator blew

life into human through the megis shell. Now it is used as an adornment on the regalia.

Personal Expressions:
Generally the dancers make their regalia themselves. Thus, the regalia is a very
personal and artistic expression of the dancers’ lives, experiences, feelings, interests, and

spirituality. Sometimes relatives make the regalia as a gift for them, or they help them

20
make some articles on it. These relatives have to know the dancers physically and

mentally. Therefore, the regalia they make will fit both the bodies and the spirits of the
dancers.

It is difficult for outsiders to interpret personal meanings in each regalia.
Furthermore, the regalia may have never been finished. It can be added to, changed, and
evolved as the dancers’ lives change and evolve. Books can describe meanings and
features of each dance regalia but not these personal meanings. There is no better way
than having the dancers/makers explain their meanings themselves, which certainly is

included in this documentary.

CHAPTER III

DOCUMENTARY

Among varied television program formats, the producer feels that a documentary is
the most appropriate format in order to efl’ectively reveal the stories on video. This
chapter looks at the definition of documentary, its history, and different styles of

documentary being used today.

Definition
Documentary films are defined as those dealing with significant historical, social,

scienfificmecommicsubjeds,eitherph«ographodinacmalocamenceorm-
enacted, and where the emphasis is more on factrral content than on
13

entertarnment
(Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Apart fi'om the formal definition given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences, the wordfi‘documentary.’ has been defined in many otherwways. For exarnple,
according to the French who first used the word “documentary,” it meant “travelogue.”14
While the public may consider lecture presentations and television news magazine shows
as documentaries, Mike Wolverton in Reality an Reels: How to Me Documentag'aa for
Video/Radio/Film suggested that they are not. He said that documentary does not only
“describe” and “expose” but also “reveals and reshapes reality in a universal language that

compels attention and involvement regardless of one’s interest in, or need to know about,

21

22
the subject of the documentary.”15 Robert Edmonds in About Documenm

Anthropglogy on film (1974) saw documentary as an anthropological film since the
\t i ,"I
subject matter of a documentary is “the various‘relationships of mankind in the world - the

\1
relationship of man to his environment, man to his work/man to other men, these

relationship taken singly, or in any combination”?6 Iu/Thwfizingocumentary, Michael
Renov (1993) defined documentary by giving it four fundamental firnctions: “to record,
reveal and preserve, to persuade or promote, to analyze or interrogate, and to express.”17
The Dancing Colors reveals the relationship of the Native Americans to their
culture, to their community, and to other things on Earth. It attempts to persuade the

viewers, non Native Americans, to change their perceptions.

History

Documentary originated in 1922 after nonfiction film had existed for more than
two decades. The first documentary, considered as a forerunner of all modern
documentaries, was Nanme the North. In this silent documentary Robert Flaherty
filmed the life of an Eskimo family in the Arctic. Although it was reenacted for shooting
purposes, it was the actual lives of human beings trying to survive in their natural
environment. Nanoqk of the North was incredibly successfirl on the market. 1’

No later films went beyond Flaherty’s model until 1929 when John Grierson, an
English documentarist, produced _D_rif_tar§, his first important film. While Flaherty’s
documentaries were not used as a social instrument, Grierson , in his works, “engendered

a larger sense of social interdependence.”’9

23
During World War II, documentary film was first used as a propaganda tool by the

Nazis. The British utilized the propaganda aspect of documentary to create public

confidence after the first London blitzes.20

From Cinema to Television:

Since the budget of producing documentary in color films was enormous,
documentary started moving fi'om the big screen to television in the 1960s21 According
to Bluem, television documentaries had two purposes: journalistic and poetic. The
journalistic, which was controlled by subject, can be found in News Documentaries. The
poetic, controlled by theme, was more imaginative. Bluem also stated that television’s
theme documentaries consisted of three basic production methods: compilation,
biographic, and dramatic.

One is in the compilation, involving the creative application of techniques of

cinematic organization, the poetry of the spoken narrative, and the suggestive

power of musical score. In the biographical method, the same elements are

present, with the addition of elements of dramatrrrgical structure as distinct from

the broader narrative. There is also a greater use of dialogue within the spoken

narration. In the dramatic method, the use of historical material is mininrized, as

thefimctionsofdrarnaturgywithinthemoreirnmediate recordsofactualitybeconre

dominant.22

Documentary produced for the small screen has suffered since it needs permission
for broadcasting from television networks, which are dominated by commercial, political,
or moral pressure groups. For example, the BBC refused to broadcast Warrendale
(1967), a Canadian fihn about a treatment center for disordered adolescents. 23 In today’s

society, television documentaries still gain less popularity among viewers because they are

thought to be slow and boring and require high concentration. These thoughts should be

24

relinquished due to the fact that documentaries help support the modern free-speech of

modern society by creating public awareness and creating individuals’ opinion.

Documentary Personality Types

Like a human being, a documentary has a personality. Wolverton divided the
personality of the documentary into seven types: the news documentary, the travel
documentary, the sociological documentary, the investigative documentary, the
explanatory and informative documentaries, the experiential documentary, and the
historical documentary.”

The “news documentary” is “an in-depth study of some important issues that arise
out of current events. . . .It will tend toward prophecy, in-depth inquiry and coverage, and
will always be helpful in repairing the social bonds that much of our news reporting tends
to break down.”25 The dominant character of the news documentary is to present all
aspects of the situation, no matter which side, to the public.

The “travel documentary” conducts a “deep penetration.” It not only presents the
beauty of nature or places but also “shows us what goes on there - the realities behind the
illusions?“S

The “sociological documentary” deals with “surface reactions and the illusionary
aspects of human intercourse. Some penetration into realities behind the social action
illusion is necessary. . .but this penetration is more by insight derived from illusion than by
direct examination of the fields of feeling that make the illusion what it appears to her”

To make a sociological documentary is like shooting long shots of an event.

25

The “investigative documentary” focuses “in on the realities behind social action
illusions.”28 This type of documentary is aimed to “unmask the actual reality while
patiently and meticulously documenting every step of the process. . .”29

The “explamtory and informative documentaries” make viewers “know and
understand not from being lectured to but from being placed in learning environments.”30
The characteristic of this type of documentary is clear conciseness in an innovative
package.

The “experiential documentary” creates “the feelings that arise from specific kinds
of experiences.”31 It is documented case histories of persons. A major character of the
experiential documentary is “strong identification with the subject of the documentary.”

The “historical documentary” focuses on “accuracy of historical fact combined
with the meaning-social, economic, and political-of historical fact. Accuracy of meaning,
the real significance, is just as important as accuracy of fact.”32

No matter which personalities it has, a documentary must have genuineness - the

quality of being “for real.”

Documentary Styles

In producing a documentary, not only the personalities of that documentary must
be selected, but the presentation styles also must be determined. In an article titled “The
Voice of Documentary” in New Challeages for Documentary, Bill Nichols identified four
major styles of documentary: direct address, cinéma verité, interview-oriented, and self-

reflexive.

26
“Direct address” is the oldest style of documentary. It “employed a supposedly

authoritative yet often presumptuous off-screen narration. In many cases this narration
effectively donrinated the visuals, though it could be, in a film like Night Mail or Listen to

”33

Britain, poetic and evocative. This style was out of favor after World War H.
“Cinéma verité” came after direct-address style. It creates more “reality effect with
it directness, immediacy, and impression of capturing untampered events in the everyday

”34

lives of particular people. In the cinema verité style, viewers are led to conclusions
about those people without any implicit or explicit explanation.

The “Interview—oriented” style incorporates the direct-address style in the form of
interview. “Sometimes profoundly revealing, sometimes fiagmented and incomplete, such
film has provided the central mode for contemporary documentary.”35

“Self-reflexive documentaries” have just begun recently. They “mix observational
passages with interviews, the voice-over of the filmmaker with intertitles, making patently
clear what has been implicit all along: documentaries always were forms of re-
presentation, never clear windows onto reality; the filmmaker was always a participant-

witness and an active fabricator of meaning, a producer of cinematic discourse rather than

a neutral or all-knowing reporter of the way things truly are?“

CHAPTER IV

ABOUT THE VIDEO

Title Interpretation

The producer titled this video program The Dancing Colors for many reasons.
Since the regalia worn by the dancers is very colorfirl and gorgeous, The Dancing Colors
explicitly refers to the regalia itself. Implicitly “colors” means culture and symbolic
meanings that are hidden behind the regalia. “Dancing” is an action showing that the
culture is alive. It can be derived from the title that The DancingLolors represents “The

living culture of the Native American (the Anishnabek)” through their regalia.

Documentary Type
According to the documentary types mentioned in Chapter III, The Dancing

Colors has a mixed personality between “sociological documentary” and “explanatory and

 

informative documentary.” As a sociological documentary, it is concerned with the social
intercourse of the Native American. The story focuses on how the dancers relate to their
culture and their community. The symbolic meanings communicated through their regalia
are the “realities behind the social action illusion” as Wolverton described in Reality on
Reela: How to make Document_aries for Video/Radio/Film.” The program can be

considered an explanatory and informative documentary due to the fact that it creates a

27

28

“learning environment” for the viewers. Starting with some general background of the
Anishnabek, the program “acquaints the viewer with the general subject and defines
terms.”38 Then the viewers gradually learn about Native American culture visually and

aurally.

Presentation Style

The DanciagLolors applies a couple of presentation styles. “Cine'ma verité” or
candid camera is used in filming the powwow dancing and the dancers getting dressed.
Although the camera was not completely hidden, it didn’t interfere with the dancers’
activities and it filmed the events naturally. “Intervievrf’ technique can be seen in most
parts of the program. The documentary lets the dancers, the regalia makers, and the
powwow emcee reveal their own stories both tribally and individually through the
interviews. Some pieces of the interview exploit the “direct address” style. For example,
when Anthony Miron talked about the animal mimicking of Men’s Traditional dancers, he
spoke directly to the camera which is considered the audience. The use of off-screen
narration also is an element of direct address. The “self-reflexive” style is used where the
cinema verité is mixed with the interview. Furthermore, there is the ‘Voice” of the
producer showing that the producer is only a “participant-witness” not an “all-knowing
reporter” making this documentary a self-reflexive one. In conclusion, the Dancing

Colors blends together four presentation techniques.

29

Production Process

The pre-production, or the researching, was difficult since the producer is not a
g M-

 

Native American and had no in-depth knowledge about them. Apart from books and
printed materials, the producer got a great deal of background information fiom talking
to Marclay Crampton, the Educational Coordinator at Nokonris Learning Center located
in Okemos, Michigan. Attending some powwows around Michigan gave the producer
some direct experiences and helped find the future interviewees. Some personal
information was gathered during the time of the interviews.

Wn occurred within the State of Michigan using a single Super VHS
camera. n-The footageof powwow dancing was shot at four powwow events: the Home
Coming of the Three Fires Powwow in Grand Rapids (June 1996), the Lansing
Community College (LCC) Powwow in Lansing (November 1996), the Michigan State
University (MSU) Powwow or Naiso Powwow in East Lansing (February 1997), and the
Central Michigan University (CMU) Powwow in Mount Pleasant (April 1997). The
first one was an outdoor powwow while the other three were held indoors. The first
two powwows were like an exercise for the producer/videographer to practice shooting
skills since shooting fast moving activities like dancing is not easy for a novice. The
“r ” shooting was done at the latter two powwows at MSU and CMU where the
locations were Gymnasiums. One advantage of shooting in such large indoor places is
the consistent amount of light although it is not as bright as sunlight. Nevertheless, a
major problem the producer encountered was with the audio. A lot of echo sound from
the drums and songs was created due to the reverberant nature of this location. The echo

could be eliminated by placing the microphone as near to the source as possible.

30

However, having to shoot the dancing and record the songs at the same time was
difficult, especially in a small-crew production like this one.

In taking pictures at powwows, there is some etiquette to follow. Not every
dance or activity in a powwow is permitted to be recorded. This is different fiom
powwow to powwow. The Master of Ceremonies, or emcee, informs whether it is
allowed or not. Another important piece of etiquette is that it is necessary to ‘always
ask permission before taking pictures of dancers when they are outside the dance circle
and also ask permission before taking a picture of the drummers and their drums?

The interviews were on-location interviews. Some were shot at the powwows.
Many of them were shot at the interviewees’ home. It is the producer’s intention to
conduct the interviews at their homes so the viewer can see through the interview shots
what their habitats look like. This is to change the Thai belief that the Native Americans
still live in teepees. The lighting of the interview shots mostly were “high-key” pictures
which mean shots that “look bright overall with small areas of shadow.”39 The producer
did not want to create a secretive mood but an overt and sincere feeling. The shots of
the dancers’ model were taken from the powwow regalia exhibition at Nokomis Learning
Center.

The post production_consisted of script writing, narrating, and editing. The fill]

 

 

/script written after all interviews had been done. Most stories in the script were

,. based on the interviews. The complete script can be found in Appendix A of this thesis.

[ Mmue- .. - . - . - m--- .- - -— _.

(l. The ofl’-screen narration presents the “vorce” of the producer. The narrator rs a Thar
"" 1:” _,__--’

 

(fut-w my‘.

character who is sharing her experience with another Thai. All of the music died in the

M‘W‘“ saw—.M'M I

program was recorded from powwows. It is not only used as the rhythm of the dances,

31

but also used as a transition tool and for creating a mood. The editing was done at the

Telecommunication Department Digital Media Lab using {Media 100 editin‘gmachine.

“U
c-r—

Program Segment and Interpretation

emflww“

This 33-minute program is officially divided imofthree partswith three subtitles:
NMWWM a, . _ . _- ..
the Dances, the Sacred Symbols, and the People. However it also contains the opening
montage, the introductory part about the powwow, and the closing montage.

The opening montage is aimed to lead the viewer to what they are going to see in
the program. It gives the viewer a brief historical background of the Anishnabek. The
opening shot, the fire, has some significancewliirst, it symbolizes the Anishnabek
themselves because they were called “People of the Three Fires.” Sicnond, it represents
that the Anishnabek lived in the Great Lakes area for a very long time, since the fire was
discovered. lastly, dancing around the fire is one obvious image of Native Americans.
The songs and drum in the montage are performed by an Ojibwa elder named Don
Stevens, or Red Arrow.

The powwow section is a brief introduction to ‘Vvhat powwow is.” The close-up
shot of the drum is used as the opening shot of this section because the drum is
considered the center of powwow and its sound represents the heartbeat of the Indian
people, the Mother Earth, and the Indian nation. The producer lets Butch Elliott, the
Master of Ceremonies at the MSU powwow, reveal powwow characteristics. Living in

Sault St. Marie, Michigan, Butch has been a Powwow Emcee for about 30 years. As the

emcee, he has to know all the songs, dances, customs, cultures, tribes, and general

32

information about powwows very well. He is expected to explain all aspects of Powwow
activities during the event.

“77w Dances” section is the main part of this program. It mentions the six dance
styles from the oldest to the newest: Men’s Traditional Dance, Women’s Traditional
Dance, Grass Dance, Jingle Dress Dance, Women’s Fancy Shawl Dance, and Men’s
Fancy Dance. The stories of each dance and the regalia are exposed by the dancers.

Each dance style is led by each dancers’ voice-over of how important the dances are for
them. The detail of the dances can be found in chapter H while the brief information
about the dancers can be found in Appendix B. The music used in this section is the
actual music fi'om each dance.

“The Sacred Symbols” section presents the three important symbols commonly
seen on the Anishnabek powwow regalia: the eagle feather, the sacred circle, and the
Three Fires colors. The meanings of these symbols were explained in chapter H. The
opening shot of this section is the shot of the dancers standing in the dance circle. They
pay an allegiance to the eagle flag since it is considered the national flag of the Indian
nation. The background music is the “Flag song.” It perfectly fits this portion because of
its direct meaning and the sacred feeling it generates. Anthony Miron, the Men’s
Traditional dancer, and Butch Elliott, the Powwow Emcee, help explain the meaning of
each symbol.

“The People” section provides more specific information about the dancers: how
they learn to make the regalia, where they get the materials, what each regalia means to
them, and how to “treat” the regalia. The ideas of the regalia are varied depending on the

dancers. Anthony Miron represents a tradition being who tries to preserve the old ways.

33

Every piece of his regalia contains tribal meanings. Judy Johansen and Niso Schwanda
are examples of dancers who put their past experiences into designing the regalia.
Netawn Alice Kiogima is the new generation who, in her childhood, lost her culture.
Jason George, also a new generation, had an economic reason and the purpose of usage
in choosing the colors of his regalia. This section also shows that the Indian culture is
passed from generation to generation. The art of regalia making is being taught to the
very young.

The “closing montage” uses the same songs as the opening montage. The
difference is in the pictures. The opening montage contains “still shots” of dance regalia.
They are beautifirl but stagnant referring to the loss of the Anishnabek culture. On the
contrary, the closing montage comprises “moving shots” of the dancers which are more
lively and full of action. This indicates that the Anishnabek do not leave their beautifirl
artifacts in the showcase but are making them live amid the change of the modern world.

The colors of the character generator (CG) used in the title, “The Dancing
Colors,” and three subtitles, “The Dances,” “The Sacred Symbols,” and “’The People,”
also have meaning. They were created from mixing of orange, red, and yellow, or the
so-called “Three Fires Colors.” It signifies the Anishnabek since they - as people from
the three tribes: Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatomi - were once called “People of the
Three Fires” and were represented by these colors. Almost every dancer puts the “Three

Fires Colors” somewhere on their regalia.

CHAPTERV

EVALUATION & CONCLUSION

Evaluation

As mentioned in Chapter I, the objectives of this documentary are ‘to present an
accurate picture of a Native American group, the Anishnabek, in order to create a deeper
and more comprehensive understanding of Native Americans among Thai people. .S__rn_c_e

Thai traditional culture andgwisdom are in decline, another intent is to inspire the audience

-s_-—._.,

m

 

ro look backattheirown heritage and preserve it.”

To test whether these objectives are fulfilled, the finished documentary was shown
to a small Thai audience. According to the producer’s intention, theggetfiaudinie is
Thai people who live faraway and do not have any chance to encounter the real Native
American. However, to fly back to Thailand for the evaluation would be very expensive
and time consuming. A sample group of Thai students at Michigan State University was
selected as a substitute. At the time of the viewing, nine Thai students were available to
participate.

fla_eymmm was aquestionnaireghich consisted of two sections: “before
viewing” and “after viewing.” The first section‘contained six questions intended to get

some background information about the participants and their perception of Native

Americans before conring to the United States<"'The second section was nine questions

34

35
which measured the efl‘ectiveness of the program to the audience by asking them to

evaluate how well the program communicated to them and by measuring what they
learned about Native Americans. To clarify some ambiguous answers of the participants,
personal phone interviews were also conducted the day after the viewing. A copy of the
questionnaire can be found in Appendix C.

In section one, question one, when asked if the participants have ever heard of or
known about the Native American when they were in Thailand, everybody answered
‘yes.” When asked how they got the information, in question two, all of them stated that
they saw movies though most of them couldn’t remember the titles. Some mentioned
“Cowboy movies (W estern),” “Shane,” “Dances with Wolves,” and even “cartoons.”
This indicates that the participants saw fictional programs which lead to unrealistic
perceptions. Only one participant (who subscribed to Satellite television at home) has
watched a non-fiction program about Native Americans through the Discovery Charmel.
Another one of them has read a children’s book about Native Americans, while two
mentioned that they learned something from schools.

Personal background information about the participants was obtained from
questions five and six. The answers of these two questions indicate that the participants
have lived in Michigan from one to four years. Most of them have never encountered any
Native Americans, but two have been to powwows.

Question three tested the participants’ knowledge about Native Americans before
coming to the United States. Seven of them knew that the Native American used to live in
America before the Europeans arrived and that they were at one time almost extinct. Two

out of seven also knew that they were controlled and killed by the Europeans. Another

36
two also mentioned that they were good at horseback-riding and were hunted by American

cowboys as seen from movies. One participant thought that Native Americans were very
individualistic and had a superstitious society.

Question four was an important one. It reached into to the participants’ minds to
see their image of the Native American. For their appearance, seven thought that Native
Americans are thin with red skin and long hair. Another two thought that they look like
Asian people. Quietness and seriousness were seen to be characteristic of their
personalities by seven participants. Another two thought that they were calm and
peaceful. Five used the word “cruel” to describe their demeanor while four thought they
were honest and sincere. For their life style and habitat, all participants behaved that
Native Americans still live in teepees while hunting for food and wandering around in
nature. Everybody also described their clothing as “made from hides or leather and
adorned with feathers, animal bones, and beads.” Every participant agreed that Native
Americans have their own language.

To measure whether these images were changed after viewing the program, the
participants were asked to describe almost the same things in question ten. The result
indicates that they looked at Native Americans in a more positive and realistic way. Six
were surprised that they look “more like Caucasians” while the other three used the word
“variety.” Their personalities are described by six participants as “fiiendly and lovely.”
Two of them thought that they were cheerful, while one mentioned that they were polite.
Three participants did not answer the “demeanor” question because they thought that it is
hard to determine from only looking at a 33-minute program. Four thought that they were

kind while two perceived that they were respectful to others and to nature. One also

37
stated that they were creative. Their lifestyle and habitat were perceived from seven

participants as more modernized and Americanized; however, three out of seven also saw
that they still keep their old traditions. Two felt that they have a deep relationship with
nature and their families, and were not as fiercely individualistic as they thought before.
All participants also learned that the Native Americans speak English now but still have
their own languages.

When asked in question eleven whether this program aroused their interest in the
Native Americans, only one said “no.” From the answers of question twelve, seven
participants wanted to know more about the Native American’s everyday life in the
modern world and their relationship with the white Americans. For example, the Thai
audience was interested in the efl’ect of Western culture on their tradition; how the white
Americans react to them; and their feelings about the reaction. One participant wanted to
learn about their spiritual thinking and how to live in harmony with nature. Another one
loved to hear about music of different tribes.

Questions thirteen and fourteen were aimed to see whether the program can
stimulate the participants to think about their own culture. Six participants saw that both
Native Americans and Thai have gratitude to nature and behave in the existence of
nature’s spirits. Two also saw that both have a family-oriented culture. Two others
thought that some Native American teachings; for example, the belief in the Circle of Life,
look like Buddhism, which is the major religion in Thailand. Five participants realized
that both nations have unique and delicate dances and dance outfits. Amidst the decline of
Thai traditional culture, most participants felt that Thai people, especially the young

generation are less committed to their own culture compared to the Native American.

38

Moreover, they recognized that there is no such big event like the powwow to present and
maintain Thai culture. Only one out of nine stated that he did not relate this documentary
to the decline of Thai culture.

Question seven, eight, and nine were asked to assess general feelings of the
participants to the program. In question seven, when asked to rate how the program is
interesting to them, four rated it as ‘Very interesting” while another four saw it as
“interesting.” Only one participant thought of it as “so-so.” Most of them liked it because
it is colorful and they could learn the meanings of the dances, outfits, and symbols which
they have never known before. One of them commented that the program is “a
professional level presentation.” Another one liked the arrangement of the program: ‘you
present the topic from the big picture to some specific issues which is easy to follow and
understand.” When asked what they disliked most in the program, five answered “none.”
One of them suggested that the voice of the narrator, the interviewees, and the
background music are not attractive enough. Another one said that the music of every
dance sounded alike which reduced her interest. One participant felt that the program was
too long because it was in English and was difficult to understand for him, while another
one thought that it was too short because she still wondered and wanted to know more.

When asked for additional comments in question fifteen, three had no further
comment while three thought that it is a very interesting and well-done program. Two
participants suggested that there should be Native American music other than powwow
songs as the background music. One participant commented that the dance music is too
low. Another participant thought that the presentation technique was quite plain with just

the dances and the interviews.

39

Conclusion

From the result of the evaluation, this documentary succeeded in firlfilling the first
objectives, “to present an accurate picture of a Native American group, the Anishnabek, in
order to create a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Native Americans
among Thai people.” It created new ways of looking at the Native American in the
audience’s perception. For example, the Thai audience looked at Native Americans more
like ‘ordinary people’ after viewing this tape. The images from Western movies as a wild
and cruel race have been erased. They have been perceived as fiiendly, respectful, and
even lovely people who are committed to nature and their culture. However another
objective, “to inspire the audience to look back at their own heritage and preserve it”, is
still in doubt. The Thai audience may be concerned about the decline of Thai culture after
viewing this program, but the program may not be strong enough to cause an action of
preservation because the message of this program is about Native American culture, not
Thai culture.

It seems likely that if The Dancing Colors: The Aniah_n_abek Powwow’s Regalia is
shown to real audience in Thailand, it will be a worthwhile and meaningful experience for
them. Nevertheless, since this video is produced and narrated in English, it is necessary to
re-narrate it in the Thai language and translate all interviews to Thai using subtitles before
showing it to the audience. This will increase the program’s effectiveness, expand the
number of audience to a larger amount, and eliminate misunderstandings which may occur

from difl‘erences in languages.

Notes

 

' James A Clifton, George L. Cornell, and James M. McClurken, Me of the Three Fires: The
Ottawa, Potawatomi and OirbwaLof Mighjgg, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: West Michigan Printing,
1986), v.

2 William J. Kubiak, Great Lakes Indians: A Pictoml Guide. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Book House, 1970), 125.

3 Christ Roberts, Powwow Country. (Helena, Montana: American & World Geographic
Publishing, 1992), 12-13.

4 Marsha MacDowell, ed, Contemmm Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia: Nda Maamawigagai
(Together We Dance). (East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University, 1997), 8.

5 Roberts, 20.

6 McDowell, 10.
7 McDowell, 10.
8 McDowell, 14.

9 David w. Penny, ed, Great Lakes Indian A_rt, (Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press,
1989), 15.

w Penny, 13-14.

“ Marsha McDowell and Jenice Reed, ed, Sister o_rthe Great Lakes: Art of American Indian
Women, (East LansingMichigan: Michigan State University; Okemos, Michigan: Nokomis Learning
Center, 1995), 9.

'2 Clifton, Cornell, and McClurken, 10.

‘3 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, me Twelve, Section One: Sw’al Rules for
Documean Awards, AcademLQf Motion Picture Arts arid Sciences. (Hollywood, California).

‘4 Mike Wolverton, Realig on Reels: How to Make Documentaries for Viideo/Rago/Filra,
(Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Company, 1983), 18.

‘5 Wolverton, 18.

41

 

'7 Michael Renov, Theorizing Documentary, (New York: Routledge, 1993), 21.
'8 Michael Rabiger, Directing the Documefly, 2"d ed (Boston: Focal Press,1992), 15-16.

'9 A William Bluem, Documeatarv in American Television: Fog, Functioa, Mm, (New York:
Hasting House Publishers, 1965), 46-48.

2° Bluem, 51-52.
2' Rabiger, 28.
2“ Bluenr, 90-91.
2" Rabiger, 28.
2" Wolverton, 38.
25 Wolverton, 38.
26

Wolverton, 39.
27 Wolverton, 39.
28

Wolverton, 39.
29

Wolverton, 40.
30

Wolverton, 40.
3' Wolverton, 41.
32

Wolverton, 41.

33 Alan Rosenthal, New Challenges for Documenm, (Berkley, California: University of
California Press, 1988), 48.

3“ Rosenthal, 48-49.
’5 Rosenthal, 49.
3‘ Rosenthal, 49.
37 Wolverton, 39.
3" Wolverton, 40.

39 Rabiger, 91.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

Video
Cut from black to MS a fire.

Dissolve to sweat lodge

Super graphic:
“The Anishnabek were

people from three historic

tribes of the Great Lakes area:

Ojibwa, Odawa, and
Potawatomi”
Cut to black

Cut fi'om black to a montage of
Indian craft

APPENDIX A

VIDEO SCRIPT
Audio
Narrator: Long before Columbus landed in America,

livinan the Great Lakes area were the Anishnabek, the
aboriginal peaple of this land.

 

 

Anthony VO under: “We were called Indians. They
thought they landed in India.”

Drumming and singing by Don Stevens

Narrator: Lilac other tribes, the Anishnabek have lost
much of their culture. To geserve it they are wormg

 

Dissolve from a model of Fancy h_ard not only in rnuseuma, but am) in their liviag,
dancer to Jason George in his
Fancy Dance outfit.
Cut to black

Fade in title, “The Dancing Colors” Powwow music

Fade in CU drum playing, cut to
three shots of dancers dancing,
cut to MLS drum group, out to

high angle VLS of the dance
circle filled with dancers, and
fade out title.

Cut to MCU Butch talking
Super “Butch Elliott-
Powwow Emcee”

Long shots of dancers dancing

MLS dancers talking together

Butch V0: “Powwow is a gathering, is a
gathering of nations, is a gathering of tribes.

I think the oldest one is probably 150 years old, as
we know it today, like this.”

Butch: “Whole purpose of powwow is to get
together and exchange culture and dances,
meeting fiiends, meeting old fiiends, people that
you haven’t seen in years. This is a social event.

42

LS dancers greeting each others

MCU Butch talking

Zoom out from Canadian flag
and American flag held by
head veterans and dissolve to
Intertribal Dancing

LS Butch being an emcee

Group shots of Men’s
Traditional dancers dancing

MCU Butch talking

Zoom out an Intertribal Dance

CU drum beating

MS another drum beating

MLS a singer singing

CU dancers’ feet dancing
Men’s Traditional Dance
Zoom out ngle Dress Dance
Grass Dance

A Shawl dancer spinning
Dissolve to CU circle symbols
Dissolve to CU floral leggings
Fade to black

43

It’s a social event that allows us to not only express
the loving concern that we have among ourselves,
but also share that with everybody else.”

Butch: “This gives us a chance to meet even with
some of our historical enemy. You know? People
that we may not have got along with - other tribes.”

Intertribal song

Narrator: The powwow is the biggest and the most
widespread Indian event, occurring almoat every
weekend somewhere in North America

Butch VO: “You can go anywhere in North
America and feel comfortable when you go to
powwow. In this particular powwow is many tribes
throughout the Great Lakes area: Chippewa,
Potawatonri, and Odawa. We have people fiom
faraway place like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Ontario.”

Fade up Intertribal song and fade under

Narrator: Powwows of the Anishnabek have the
same basic elements as other tribes’.

Drumbeats

Narrator: The drums are the symbolic center of the
events.
The drumbeats represent the heartbeat of the nation.

The song

Narrator: In harmony with these beats, eve_rybody
dances together in the dance circle.
Each dance has its own meaning and require specific

pages of regalia.

Narrator: These colorful regalia are not considered
merely costumes. They are outfits of life reflectig
legends of the tribes and the people.

Fade in subtitle, “The Dances”

Fade in Anthony as a Men’s
Traditional dancer dancing
and fade out subtitle

Cut to
Anthony in his outfit talking
Super “Anthony Miron
(White Feather)”
Cut to Anthony dancing
Cut to dancing shots of other
Men’s Traditional dancers

A dancer wearing breastplate

Men ’s Traditional song

Anthony VO under: “I’d like to stay on the
traditional because I’m a traditional dancer. I believe in
dancing just to show the creator that I enjoy the gifts
that he has given to me.”

Narrator: Traditional dance is one of the six dance
sgles done in contemmrary powwow around the Grea_t
Lakes area. It’s the oldest form of dance in Indian
culture. The outfits, giro—ugh beinga_dapted in some
respect. still retain whmhe ancient warriors wore in

the old days.

Dissolve to Anthony’s breastplate Anthony VO under: “This is considered the

Cut to veterans dancing

Shots of veterans in
“American flag” outfits

Cut to tilt down shot of
Anthony’s model

Dissolve to pan the dance stick
in the model’s hand

CU swirl in Anthony’s stick

B-roll of dancers and their sticks

Anthony demonstrating paddling

Anthony talking to the camera

breastplate. It’s for protection in the old day. It stops
arrow from going through.”

Narrator: Warriors. or in this day, veteraaa, receive
great honor in Indian society. Many Laditional dancers
are veterans. They can be identified from their outfits.

Narrator: Almost everything on a traditional dancers’
outfit is sacred and has meanings. These dance sticfi
are no exception.

Anthony V0 under: “The swirl in the stick. The
swirl stands for that balance. We’re walking in
harmony, when we’re walking a good straight path.
Because we always got those twisting turns but we
keep going in the same direction.”

Narrator: finy times the dancer uses his dance sticks
to tell stories from hundreds of years ago when their
ancestors roamed freely in this so-called Woodlapg
area.

Anthony: “One thing I do is instead of using the
paddle, I take my dance stick. . . .and then again.
And that way, even kid can figure out that they are
paddling down river. And that way they tell a story

Anthony demonstrating placing
the deer track

CU a dancer using his stick to
make animal tracks

Cut to Anthony talking

A dancer using his sticks
as bow and arrow

Dancers sneaking up animals
Dissolve to CU bustle
Anthony showing the grouse

feathers
A dancer making sound

Anthony talking & demonstrating

A dancer “flying”

Anthony talking

A dancer dancing like a crow

Men’s Traditional dancer dancing
andstopatthelastbeatofthe

song
Fade to black

Fade to a Men’s traditional dancer

45

and they jump out of a canoe. And they might be
telling a story when they’re following a deer. They’ll
take that deer foot and place it on the ground and push
a little bit to make the index.

So they look like deer tracks there, there and there.
Then they’re following the track. They’re hunting.
Most of the traditionals are the hunters.

And they’ll act like they. . .they’ll tell the stories about
one day they were out hunting and what animal they
were after. And how many different animals they saw.”

Sneaking-up song

Narrator: Their sipgle bustles are usefirl when they’re

O I

rrnrtating birds.

Anthony: “Like the grouse which is this feather here.
The grouse will flare their feathers up and make a
sound for his mate to let her know that he’s in the area.
When we’re out there

and we’re dancing, we’re trying to imitate that bird.
So you’ll see those feathers. They can be used as wing
feather showing that they’re flying or they can try to
show ofl‘ just like those birds would do.”

Anthony: “Or a crow. Ifyou watch a crow when
he walks across the road, his head kind of (Anthony
acting like a crow). That’s what dancers will do.
They’re imitating those birds.”

Last beat of the song

dancing out of flame revealing Narrator: While the men’maditional dancers tell the

a Women’s traditional dancer
dancing following him

Shots of Women’s Traditional
dancers’ feet stepping softly

MCU Alberta George talking
Super “Alberta George

stories

the women’s traditional dancers stgp to the ground
softhato show reapect to the Earth whom they call
Mother.

 

Women ’s Traditional Song I

Alberta: “Like your mother. You know? Be kind to
your mother and respect her. The same for Mother

46
(Falling Flower)” Earth too, when you dance.”

Tilt up Alberta dancing
Narrator: The dance itself is slow but gmcefirl sag
CU another Women’s traditional ggnified. It exemplifies ideal roles of the Anishnabek
dancer’s face with dignity woman as a motheL teacher, and mdiw of the Indian

Group shots of dancers heritage.
CU feet stepping on the ground

in harmony with drumbeat until

the drum stop

Dancer in natural-looking outfit Women ’s Traditional Song [I

Narrator: Each piece of their natural-looking outfits
also sigaifies those maternal roles.
Shawls in their arms are one example.

 

Tilt down Patricia (to her shawl) Patricia: “Everything is done for purpose and this is
MS Patricia talking to protect and keep the people warm.”

Super “Patricia Gardner Lyons”

Tilt up outfit stopping at shells Narrator: Shells are very sacred and related to the
B-roll of shells on outfits araation story of the Anishnabek.

MCU Alberta talking Alberta: “For us, we can that the megis shell. The
B-roll of megis shells on outfits creator blew life into man through the megis shell.”

Zoom out fi'om megis shell to Narrator: To honor the Creator who creat_ed
the feathered fan in Pat’s hand everything on earth. the dancers would raise their
Dissolve to two shots of dancers feather fan duringapecific beats of the songs_.

 

 

Raising their fan
Fade to black Fade down Music
Fade in Niso dancing Grass Dance song
Grass Dance
Niso V0: “I’ve been dancing for about 6 years.
I start dancing when I was about two. Then I stopped
MCU Niso talking when I was about five and start again about six years
ago.”
MCU Niso dancing
B-roll of Grass dancers Narrator: The Grass Dance apread to the Great
dancing Lakes area in the late 1800s. But it originated a long

 

time ago in the Central Plains region. Its stories are
different from tribe to tribe.

MS Niso talking

Super “Niso Shwanda”

CU fiinge on Grass dance outfits
moving

MS Niso talking

B-roll of Grass dancer dancing

MS Niso talking
B-roll of Grass dancers patting
down the grass

Tilt down a Grass dancer’s outfit

MCU a dancer with sweetgrass
Tilt down braided sweetgrass

Fade to black

Fade in CU Regina dancing in
black Jingle Dress

MS Regina talking
Super “Regina Alice Kiogima”

LS Regina dancing in red outfit
LS Imgle Dress dancers dancing

MCU Julie talking

Super “Julie Bloch”

Tilt down Julie dancing

CU cones on the dress moving

47

Niso VO: “Some people believe it’s a representation
of when the grass, when the wind blow and how the
grass moves.”

N iso: “Another one is a representation of a horse dance
When the horse runs, how that tail and the mane dance.

And then another one is when long time ago when the
tribes used to set up camp, or they had a sun dance or
something, they’d send the grass dancers in. If you
notice the movements of the grass dance, they would
send them in to pat down the grass, to flatten the grass
down so it lies flat. So if you watch the grass dancers,
you’ll see a lot of movement in that form of putting
down the grass.”

Narrator: Because of tm's swaflrg movemen_t, the
gLass Lancers don’t wear any bustle that could interfere
with it. Their outfits are fill] of symbols of gpass marge.
from yarn, ribbon, or leaaher. Some dancers aarry real
sweetgrass with them. This sacred plant is cons_idered
‘themir of the Mother Earth’. It’s also used for
burning before prayer.

 

Fade down Grass Dance song
Jingle Dress Dwrce song

Regina V0: ”The more I got into jingle, the
more I feel like it’s in my heart.
It’s spiritual. It’s feeling that is hard to explain.”

Narrator: The J'mgle Dress Dance originated during
the culturally depressed era of the early 19008. It is

seen as a healing dress.

 

Julie VO: “It’s a medicinal dress made by lady

of a name, Meggie White. She lived in White Fish Bay.
When she was young, she was quite ill. And there’re
lot of people in her village that were sick. And her
father had a dream that he was walking, he heard a
shook, shook sound (sfx: the jingle sound) which is a
sound that the cone make. And he came upon the girl

LS Jingle dress dancers standing
MCU Julie talking
Regina dancing in white outfit

MCU Regina talking
Tilt down a dancer dancing

CU a dancer’s outfit with cones
and tilt up
CU cones and pan right

Regina raising her fan
B-roll of a Jingle Dress dancer
MCU Julie talking

CU feet of a Jingle Dress dancer
on the last beat of the song

48

wearing a dress with cone on it and then he went home
and made it and had her wear it. And so it brought
about the healing for her and for the village.”

Regina V0: “When the jingles hit on each

other, they are sending a pray to the creator. It’s kind
of like sending signals or messages. And each day
meaning a pray so there were three hundred and sixty
five.”

Narrator: These threelrundred and sixty five cones
were made of deer hooves in the past but now they 3
from tobacco cans’ lids.

Julie V0: “The cone’s kind of send out the

waves of healing and good feelings toward the people.
That’s why they also raise their fans to spread good
feelings around to everyone.

To wear this dress take a lot of responsibility. Taking
care of it. No drinking. No drugs. Things like that.
Because it’s a medicine dress. It’s a lot of
responsibility, not to be taken unlikely.”

Last beat of Jingle Dress Dance song

MS Netawn dancing Fancy Shawl Fancy Shawl Dance song

and tilt down to her feet
MCU Netawn talking
Tilt up Netawn dancing

B-roll of Shawl dancing

MCU Netawn talking

B-roll of Shawl dancers

N etawn V0: “The fancy is really caught my eyes. I
just like the way the foot work was.
I like the shawl and it’s very free style.”

Narrator: Having nothing to do with healing, this
F_ancy Shawl dance has something to do with warriors.

Netawn V0: “The shawl represents the wings of the
butterfly. The butterfly first starts ofi‘ in her cocoon.
When a warrior has been killed, she’s mourning at first
but then she’s rejoicing. Like how the butterfly’s kind
of flutter around. And she’s rejoicing that the warrior
is on his way to the spirit world, helping him on his
journey to spirit world.”

CU dancers’ feet

Netawn dancing and stopping
at the last beat of the song
Fade to black

Fade in Jason dancing
Men’s Fancy

MCU Jason talking
MLS Jason getting dress
CU Jason’s feet dancing
and tilt up
B-roll of Men’s Fancy dancers

MCU Jason talking
Super “Jason George

(Moon Cut in Half)”
B-roll of Men’s Fancy spinning

Twirlers in dancer’s hand
Fluorescence outfits

Men’s Fancy spinning

CU bustles
CU arm bustles

49

Narrator: This Butterfly dance is the most modern
@nce for women. It’s athletic. The dancers me to
dance like they are flying

Netawn V0: “Your footwork is very fast like a
butterfly and it’s very intricate. It’s like aerobic legs.
When you’re holding up your shawl, you hold it up like
a butterfly does. Just gracefirl and fast.”

Last beat of Show] Dance song

Men ’s Fancy Dance song

Narrator: Men also have a modern dan_ce that shows

their agiligg and stamina.

Jason V0: “Fancy dancers have to run. They have to
keep some kind of shape. Even though I may look
overweight, lots of the guys have a hidden energy
inside them that keeps them going.”

Narrator: The Men’sLancy dance was adapted from
the Grass Da_n_ce when Indian things were ta_ken into
ahaw business.

Jason: “It was the Buffalo Bill show, the Mld West
Show. Buffalo Bill hired Native Americans to come to
his Wild West show doing dancing, and horse riding,
and other things.

They wanted to live up the show somehow so they

started doing spins and spwding up the tempo of the
drum. In stead of just the one bustle, they added two
bustles. Now they have like twirlers, hackles,
fluorescence colors, anything that look bright and look
fast with all this moving.”

Narrator: These pieces of outfits help a lot in making
them look really apectacular while dancing. But not
muych symbolic expresaion is found.

CU cuffs

Pan backs of Fancy dancers
MCU Jason talking

B-roll of Fancy dancing
Jason Dancing

Dissolve to Jason tying his roach

Dissolve to CU eagle feather
on the roach, cut to Jason
preparing his feather, and cut
to CU the feather kept in a case
Fade to black

Fade in CU a feather
Super subtitle,
“The Sacred Symbols”
Fade out subtitle
Dissolve to VLS dancers paying
allegiance to the flags
Dissolve to head veterans holding
flags and dissolve to tilting
down an eagle flag
B-roll of feathers on
dancers’ regalia

MS Anthony talking
CU a stuffed eagle

CU eagle design on a regalia
Shots of feathers on dance regalia

CU Anthony’s feather

Shots of Anthony preparing his
feather and wrapping it

MS Anthony talking & wrapping

B-roll of feathers on regalia

A dancer dancing in slow motion

50

Jason: “There really wasn’t no meaning for it.
They’re just athletic contest. I know a lot of my other
fiiend, even though people look at us as contest
dancers, they dance solely just because they’re happy.
Being able to dance is one of the few things. It’s like a
medicine for yourself to get out there and dance.”

Narrator: However Jason does carry one aacred item
with him.

Jason: “What we wear in our roaches, they’re eagle
feathers. They have to be blessed and have to be
looked after in a sacred way.”

Fade Fancy Dance song down

Fade up F lag song I

Narrator: The eagla feather is a very sacred syrnb_ol
for all Indian tribes.

National flags of all Indian nations are called eagla
flags.

 

For an individual, an ggle fearther is the most valuable
possession an Indian can have.

 

Anthony: “The eagle is grandfather, the machomus.
It’s more sacred bird with the Indian people. It’s like
a. . . .it’s what we used to talk to the creator.”

Narrator: While making his ragalia. Anthony has to
mp his eagle feather tightly to make sure that it won’t
drop in the dance circle.

Anthony: “If a feather is dropped in the circle. It’s
considered the falling warrior. Some elders believe that
you have to pick him up right away because just like
our veterans were hurt in battle. They might not
survive if we don’t take care of him right away. Some
elders will lay their tobacco and pick him up. Most of
the time, there are special ceremonies to pick up the

Dissolve to an eagle picture
on Anthony’s shield (zoom in)
Fade to black

Fade in tilting up an eagle flag
to the “circle” on top

CU shots of circles on regalia

MCU Butch talking
Circle on a back yoke

MCU Butch talking
Shots of circles on regalia

MCU Butch

MS senior Men’s Traditional
dancer dancing

MCU Butch

CU drum
LS dance circle - a woman

carrying her baby
B-roll of women carrying babies

MCU Anthony talking
LS baby walking with helps of
two women (slow motion)

Dissolve to a little boy in

51

feather because each feather considered the gift and it’s
the gift either fi'om the bird or the creator himself.”

Fade down Flag song I
Fade up Flag song I]

Narrator: With no less importance than the w
feather, this symbol iaalso sacred and commonly seen

on the rgalia. It represents a principal belief of all
Indian tribes.

Butch: “The circle is everything to us. It’s a cycle of
life that all tribes, no matter from east coast to west,
from south to north, recognize that cycle. We don’t
live in a linear world.

Ours doesn’t just go off into infinity. It’s coming back.
So from the time you are young, reach certain age,
there’re certain kind of ceremonies, certain kind of
things that’s happened until you reach your old.

That completes that cycle.

And that’s why powwow is in circle and those drums
are set around like that.”

Anthony: “Some elders say when a women carry a
young baby in the circle, they said it was wrong
because you are offering that baby to the creator. I
think the better way of putting it would be let that baby
walks himself. Even though he can’t, put his feet on
that ground because he’s gonna have to when he is
older, follows that path of life.”

his wheelchair in the dance circle

and dissolve to circle and bear
Paw symbol on regalia

Dissolve to Butch talking

B-roll of dancers in animal
headdresses

Narrator: Not only humansabut everything has life.
In the circle. they all live t_ogether and depend on one
another.

Butch: “Ifwe are to all survive, we have to recognize
the peace and the harmony and tranquillity in that all
thing that have life.

In our language we speak in an animated and inanimate
way. There’re very few inanimate objects in our life.
Even this building has life at one time because it comes

Shot of ground and dissolve to
dancers’ feet stepping on it

MCU Butch talking

MCU Anthony talking
CU circle with four colors

MCU Anthony

Shots of circles with four colors
on regalia

52

from materials, ground.

We don’t look at it as a commodity. It’s got life.

We have to worry about the tree existence. We have to
worry about the earth existence. We have to worry
about everybody else existence if we are to survive. ”

Anthony: “You know, It doesn’t matter today.
That’s why our colors. Our colors are red, yellow,
black, and white which are the four races of man. If a
white man goes out in the wood and he picks a plant.
He brings it home and he makes a tea and it tastes
pretty good. If a black man, a yellow man, or a red
man goes out in the wood, picks the same plant, brings
it home and makes the tea and makes it in the same
way, how it’s gonna taste. I said the same.”

Narrator: The four colors of the circle also symbolize
e_ach period in the cycle of life from birth to deaaha four
wons of the yeaLand four direction_s_ on Earth.

Anthony V0: “White is for the North, yellow for the
East, red for the South, black for the West.”

Zoom out from circle on the back Anthony V0: “When we go outside, we pray to the

of a dancer to LS of dancers
dancing in the circle

LS a fancy dancer with three fires
color dancing

CU three fires colors on a yoke
Shots of dancers with three fires
colors on their regalia

LS a Fancy dancer dancing until
the song stopped and fade to
black

four direction, say the pray facing the four direction,
and say the same pray facing Earth, Water, and Sky.”

Narrator: In the native culturea colors always have
meanings.

Narrator: These three colors toggher are called Fire
Colors. They are sigpificant to the Anishnabek in
particular. Having the Qiibwaas the oldest brothea
the Odawa, the second, and the Potawaton_1i, the
youngest, they’re long knownfias People of the Three
Fires.

 

Fade down the song

53

Fade in subtitle, “The People”

MCU Anthony talking Anthony: “1 have to go to difi‘erent elders to learn
different things about the regalia, the difi’erent colors.”
MCU Judy talking Judy: “We were taught very young to start on our
Super “Judy J ohansen beadwork and our basket making.”
(Dawn comes the morning)
MCU Bedahbin talking Bedahbin: “I started as a small child helping my

Super “Bedahbin Webkamigad” parents making my own outfits. I’d probably 7 or 8.”

MCU Judy Judy: “They must learn this stuff so when they’re
adults, they can teach their kids.”

MCU Bedahbin Bedahbin: “I had several teachers. I’ve learnt a lot by
watching people or looking at things that were already
made and figure out how they were made.”

MCU Netawn Netawn: “It’s basically it’s like a family thing.”
MCU Bedahbin Bedahbin: “I remembered watching my father made

my outfits as well as my brother’s. My mother, I’ve
learnt a lot of sewing techniques fi'om.”

MCU Netawn N etawn: “My mom and my grandma helped me make
them.”
Shots of regalia Narrator: Being made by the dancers or their families,

 

each r_egalia tells personal storiea of the dgcer.

Anthony dancing Narrator: As a traditional being, Anthony chooses to

Eagle figure on Anthony shield stick with natural materials and tribal desigg.
Red, Yellow, black, white beads

on Anthony’s regalia
MCU Anthony Anthony: “One of my color is blue because I’m the
CU Blue ribbon on Anthony’s first-bom. In the old day first-born is blue. Second-
headdress born is red.”

Tilt up Anthony regalia from Anthony V0: “Most of the black has to do with my
moccasins to wolf headdress bear. Brown is because of my wolf. The bear is for
strength. The wolf is for unity of the people.
CU rabbit fur on his shield The rabbit is to help me with innocence.
CU his deer-hide moccasin The deer is represent compassion.”

CU Anthony drawing
on a deer-hide loin cloth
MCU Anthony talking

Shots of Anthony drawing and
Painting wolf and eagle figures

MCU Anthony talking
CU Eagle on Anthony’s shield

Shots of various animal figure
on regalia

CU beaded flowers on a purse

LS a dancer with floral regalia

MS Niso talking
Shots of floral designs on regalia

Dissolve to Niso dancing

MS Niso talking and pointing at
the design on his regalia and
dissolve to CU mountain design

Shots of Niso getting dress

Niso Dancing

Dissolve to Netawn putting on
her shawl

54

Narrator: Usual]; the deaigs come through dreams.

Anthony V0: “You have to have a dream about those
animals before you start cutting it up. You have to see
through a dream or a vision of what it’s gonna look like
before you start.”

Narrator: Sometimes animal fi res on the re ia
s_ignify the dancers’ clans.

Anthony V0: “My Indian name is Wabishiki
Mingwan which of course means white feather. I’m

eagle clan.”

Narrator: A clan is consalered a sum-family. The
Anishnabek believe—that the Creator created humga
from dead bodies of various amals. Any families who
descended from the saane animal are in the same cljan_.

 

Narrator: These flowers are not a clan symbol but a
gpical deaign of the Anishnabek.

N iso V0: “A long time ago, that’s how they used to
distinguish which tribes you were from.

It’s because of the representation of your beadwork.
If you see people around the powwow, they have
flowers on it. That’s floral designs. It represents
people from the East around the Woodland area.”

Narrator: However Niso has geometric des_ign of
Western tribes because of his past experiences.

Niso: “It’s in the shape of mountain. It represents the
pe0ple from the West.

I lived here for quite a while but I moved to Alberta

and I lived out there for. .since I was about ten. I lived
out there for about 11 years. So I have adopted a lot of
the culture of the Western people. So that’s why I
wear the Western design.”

Narrator: For Netawn. floral des_ign on her first outfit
is more man flowers.

55

Dissolve to CU flowers
Netawn: “My sister and my mom made this flower.
MCU Netawn with her yoke on The flowers are connected by the stems and by the
Dissolve to CU flowers on yoke roots, it’s like how our people are connected especially
and pan & tilt along the stems women. And I wanted to use it because it’s symbolized

MCU Netawn talking to me that when I started dancing is when I had a new
Netawn picture in that outfit life. You know, a flower dies and it blooms and that’s
CU flowers on belt how my life was at the time of its blooming. It was like
Netawn picture wearing I was learning so much and I was experiencing so many
Miss Odawa crown good things in my life. That’s what the flowers are
symbolized to me.”

B—roll of family picture (20 from Narrator: When sthe statecglancing, she brought
Netawn to her mom, Regina) culture bag to her family. Evagm, esgaialbg her

mother came back into the dgce circle.

 

Dissolve to Regina dancing in red

floral outfit Regina V0: “This one resemble my daughter’s dress.
MCU Regina talking My daughter and I are a lot alike. I really felt strongly
Tilt up Regina red outfit that I should make a jingle dress to matc .”

Netawn and Regina in dance circleNarrator: Netawn also has another outfit which she
Wipe (star pattern) to star on called Star.

 

 

 

Netawn another regalia

Netawn: “I really like looking at stars a lot.

MCU Netawn talking And Ijust love how the sky so black and how the stars
are just colorful to me.

Netawn dancing in the Star (slow)

MCU Netawn talking I can lay there and look at the sky all night.”

Netawn dancing (slow)

Dissolve to Judy dancing T wo-steps song
Narrator: The same aa Netawn. Judy Johansen’s
outfit was inspired from h_er teenagaflg.

B-roll of green articles on Judy: “Green has always been my favorite color. And
one of the reasons it’s always been my favorite color is
when I was growing up and I was a teenager and I

MCU Judy talking didn’t know where I fit. Do I fit in the white modem
or do I fit in the Indian world. Whenever I needed to

CU Judy feet stepping get away, I would run away to the wood and sit out in

MS Judy dancing with smile the wood, and relax and think about thing and try to
figure things out. So to me, this always gives me a

MS Judy talking peaceful feeling of like I was out in the wood.”

MS Judy dancing Shawl

Dissolve to Jason getting dress

Jason showing his orange apron
Jason dancing

Jason putting on his harness
Zoom in beaded belt

Still shot of Jason’s outfit

Fade to black

Fade in CU orange apron (Z/O)
Dissolve to trader booth

Shots of arts&crafis goods
Shots of beads

Dissolve to porcupine quill
Product

Zoom out deer hide
MCU Anthony talking
CU furs

MCU Anthony talking
CU claws

CU a turtle shell

MCU Judy talking

MCU Anthony talking

MCU Bedahbin talking

CU Bedahbin’s material box

56

Narrator: For some dancers, colors may have no
gapbolic meaning but serve their special moses.

 

Jason: “The basic color is orange and the reason why
I like this color because my mom and I went to a fabric
store and it’s on sale and it was bright. It just turned
out to be a really nice colors as far as being able to
notice because it’s fluorescent.

The same with the beads. We had a lot of white and I
wanted it to be orange and black and yellow. It’s just a
preference of mine. No particular reason.”

Narrator: While fabric stores are good places to buy
baaic stufl’, more traditional materials can be found at

W

Narrator: First introduced by the Eurom, bm
are very popular and have long substituted for
mrcupine gram 5, an ancient craft of the Indian.

 

Narrator: Hunting is still being practiced.

Anthony: “When we go out hunting, it always never
take more than what you need.

Ifyou are gonna take the life of that animal, you have
to give something back in return and let him know why
you are taking him.”

Narrator: Oflea. materials come fiom giveaway or
trading.

Judy: “We just trade. I like the trade. I called a horse
trading.”

Anthony: “Oh, Jeez, my regalia, there got to be
fifteen or twenty people that were involved in every
little piece that goes with it.”

Bedahbin: “The beads and the item, I have, have been
given to me.”

Dissolve to Bedahbin beading

57

Narrator: With the materials in hand and the design in
mind. Bedahbin is making a new apron for her son’s

Dissolve to the son dancing (slow)tpaditional outfit.

Shots of Bedahbin beading

Dissolve to still shot of the apron
(zoom out)

MCU Regina talking

Judy beading the yoke

CU the sketches of new regalia
CU beading pattern (heart)

Dissolve to finished heart
on the beaded belt

Dissolve to heart on the yoke
Dayna beading
(Z/O from CU hand to LS)

CU Dayna
CU Judy talking
B-roll of Dayna beading

B-roll of Judy&Dayna beading

MCU Judy talking

B-roll of Dayna beading on loom

Narrator: Dancers do not usually make whole new
outfits so often but always keep adding somethingaew
to the old one.

Regina: “Sometimes I say they’re never really done,
just like your own life.

You do different thing in your life and that’s kind of
like part of it.”

Narrator: Judy is making a completely new dance
regalia for Dama, her teenage daughter.

Judy: “It’s look like a heart but it’s actually in reality a
flower. Our people have what they call heartberry. It’s
a strawberry. So it’s her interpretation of what the
heartberry and the flower from the strawberry plant
would be.”

Narrator: Judy calls this yoke, a learning piece.

Judy: “I think I would be neglecting my kids if I didn’t
teach them. Because then how would they teach their
kids or their grandkids. I’m not always gonna be here.
They got to be able to carry on. I just tell them this is
who we are.”

Narrator: Judy and Dana have been working with
the new outfit for one and a half years now. They hope

to finish it this summer.

Judy: “And then what we’ll do , we’ll present her at a
powwow.

Our family will probably sponsor her a giveaway at

the powwow. You know. . .to show everybody how
proud we are of her. She’s keeping the traditions. She
learns this.”

Narrator: Having a whole new regalia is a big
moment in ones’ life which ahould beiared with
others.

Anthony walking in the wood

Dissolve to Anthony entering
The sweat lodge

Dissolve to small fire in the lodge

Dissolve to LS sweat lodge

MS Anthony talking

Cut to the big fire

Dissolve to Dayna dressing on
her new regalia (Z/O from
the heart on her yoke)

58

For Anthony, he has to do a sacred ceremony to thank
the animals before usinghhis new regalia.

 

Anthony: “We can’t dance with it until we smudge it,
bless it and we have to feed it every year. Just like the
deerskin shirt. We have to feed that animal every year
that you wear that regalia.”

Narrator: The regalia are ready to be worn in the
dance circle.

And the dapcers are getting ready to proclaim their
dignity in the life cycle.

Montage of dancers getting dress Drumming and singing by Don Stevens

(last shot is CU the drum itself)
Fade to black

Fade in montage of dancers
dancing (slow motion)
(The last shot is CU a dancing
feet with beaded moccasins
contained Circle symbols on)

Fade to black
Fade in credit line

Anthony: “The Indian people today are those who
walk in two worlds. That world of the spiritual and the
physical. Learn the old way but still do what feel good
in your heart.”

Fade down the drum and song

Fade up Flag song HI

Fade down the music

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX B

THE INTERVIEWEES
(In order of appearance on video)

Arthur “Butch” Elliott: The Powwow Emcee

Elliott is an Ojibwa residing in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He has been the
powwow emcee for about thirty years. Being the emcee gives him a chance to travel
around, visit other communities, and talk with his Native American fiiends. He behaves
that the powwow is an “expression.”

“There is an expression in there. That ’s an expression of love. It ’s an expression
of our role and our responsibility. It ’s the expression of who we are and what we need to
do to survive. ”

Anthony E. Miron: Men’s Traditional Dancer

Miron is also an Ojibwa. He has been dancing for about eleven years. Before that
he did not have much chance to learn the tradition of his tribe.

“In the society I grew up, I didn ’t know much about traditions until I got up north
and stated to learn from my elder. It was something that was lost for me ..... I was asked
to dance when I was young but I went to college, the Academy of Arts, in Chicago. ”

Being an artist, Miron not only makes the regalia but also does some painting,
drawing, and woodcarving. His arts revolve around his tradition especially the eagle. He
believes that the education will help preserve the culture and take care of the Mother
Earth.

‘Mother Earth today needs everyboay... . These new generation, the people that
are coming in (to powwow), I am all for it, even though they might not be Native
Americans ..... Somebody come into a competition powwow and dance for money. But
then, as he is making his regalia and his dad is teaching him, he will learn all the stuff to
make the regalia. Who knows, he might turn into a traditional person who go to powwow
but doesn ’t dance for money. It educates. ”

Miron lived in Mikado, Michigan at the time the interviewing took place. Later he
has moved to Sault Ste. Marie where his elder is.

“I want to be closed to my tradition, ” he said.

59

60
Alberta George: Women’s Traditional Dancer

George, or “Falling Flower,” is an Oneida, living in Canada. Although she is not a
member of the Three Fires people, she married with an Ojibwa. It took her two years to
bead her red outfits.

Patricia Gardner Lyons: Women’s Traditional Dancer

Lyons currently lives in Detroit, Michigan.

Niso Schwanda: Grass Dancer

Schwanda is an Odawa/Cree. He drove nine hours fi'om Ontario, Canada, to
attend the powwow at Michigan State University where the interview took place. He also
sings with the drum group from his hometown.

He used to live in Alberta, Canada, for eleven years which made him adopt
Western culture into his regalia.

“Ihis one (regalia), I didn ’t make. It was done by my family member. I ’m
working on a new set of beadwork which I ’m doing myself ”

Regina Alice Kiogima: Jingle Dress Dancer

Kiogima is from three tribes: Ojibwa, Odawa, and Potawatomi. She was born in
Detroit, Michigan, but she would like to say she is from Petosky because her ancestors are
originally from that area. When she was younger, she used to dance as a Fancy Shawl
dancer but she stopped and started dancing again when her oldest daughter entered a
powwow.

“When I grew up, I used to join the AM (American Indian Movement). I was
with them for a couple of years until I had my daughter and I had to lead a more calm
life. ”

Among several dance outfits she has, the newest one is blue, the color she had
when she was in the AIM.

At the time of the interview, she lived in East Lansing, Michigan and attended
school at Michigan State University. Recently she has moved back to Petosky.

61
Julie Bloch: Jingle Dress Dancer

Bloch is an Odawa. She has been dancing for about nine years. Her outfit is a
family efl’ort. She did the beadwork and made the cones herself while her mom helped her
with the sewing. She now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“I asked people and they showed me how to make an outfit and basic stuff ”

Netawn Alice Kiogima: Fancy Shawl Dancer

Netawn Kiogima is Regina Kiogima’s oldest daughter. Her name in Odawa
language means “First Born”. She is mixed with five tribes: Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatomi,
Blackfoot, and $00. Being thrown into the school system since she was little, she had to
seek her culture.

“As the only Native child in public school system, it was pretty hard because not
only the non-native didn ’t understand me, I didn ’t understand myself I didn ’t have
anything to relate with. I was getting taught the wrong history about my people. I got
teased for having darker skin, black hair, for looking different basically. That cultural
pat of me wasn ’t there ..... High school is when I realized that this was wrong... .So I
started going out on my own looking for my culture, spending more time with elders and
my community, and stating to go to powwows. This whole view on life was just changed
And I started using that knowledge to teach others ”

Having been dancing for five years, Netawn was crowned as Indian Princess twice:
one in 1992 as Miss Odawa Homecoming and another one as Miss Midwest regional in
1993. Now she works at Ziibiwing Cultural Center in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where she
also attends an Indian college.

“I regret not being raised in my culture [pause] which I ’m going to charge that.
My kids ae going to be raised in the culture. When they’re in my stomach, they ’1] know
who they ae. ”

Jason George: Men’s Fancy Dancer

Jason George, or “Moon Cut in Half,” is Alberta George’s son. His father is
Ojibwa so he has both Ojibwa and Oneida blood. He started dancing when he was
thirteen years old with help from his parents and a fiiend of his father. He was the first
one in the family who started dancing. Now every family member comes out to the dance
circle. Having won in some competition powwow, he has never thought that the Fancy
Dance is just a contest dance.

62

“I get up and dance just because I want to darce. Dance for everyone, those who
can ’t dance. T 0 do a competition is just to see how you are. You compete with yourself
to see whether you can get better than last time. ”

Jason George also sings with a drum group called “High Spirit.” Residing in East
Lansing, Michigan, he attends an Architecture program at Lansing Community College.

“As being a Native American, I guess it ’s like a salad ba. You take what you like
and you leave the rest. We have McDonald ’s and we go to the Mall, to the movies just
like everyone else. But there is always something back in your mind that you have these
things that you wart to do to keep your culture alive. ”

Having an eight-month-old son, George takes him to every powwow he attends.

Judy Johansen: Fancy Shawl Dancer and Regalia Maker

J ohansen is an Ojibwa. Born in a family that stick with traditions, she has been
dancing all her life. She learned to make the regalia when she was a child.

“Before we walked we danced That ’s just apart of my life. ”

Her family is very famous in basket making. Her father, Don Stevens, is an elder
of the tribe. Now she lives in Isabella Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She not
only makes regalia for herself and her children but also helps other people who do not
know how to make it.

Although she is busy with her two children and her studies at Central Michigan
University, she still has time for her tradition.

“Whenever I have a moment, I sit there and bead Some people do cross stitch.
Some people draw. I do beadwork and I sew my regalia. It relaxes me. ”

Bedahbin Webkamigad: Women’s Traditional Dancer and Regalia Maker

Weckanrigad is an Odawa. She has learned the regalia making arts since her
childhood, mostly by watching. Although she has primary been a traditional dancer all her
life, she can make many styles of the regalia. Now she resides in East Lansing, Michigan,
with her two children and her husband, Tony, who is a half-blood Thai/Native American.
She rarely dances during these days but her children do.

“I didn ’t say to my children that ‘that is the way you ae going to be’. It ’s
personal and individual decision. My son came to me and said ‘I ’m gonna be a
traditional dancer. ’ ”

APPENDIX C

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Clifion, James A., Comall, George L., and McClurken, James M. People of the Three
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Edmonds, Robert. About Documentgy: Anthropology on Film: A Philosophy of People
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Kubiak, William J. Great Lakes Indians: A Pictoria Guide. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
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MacDowell, Marsha, ed. Contemppaafl Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia: Nda
Maamawigaami LTogether We Dance). East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State
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McDowell, Marsha, and Reed, Jenice, ed. Sister of the Great Lakes: Art of American
Indian Women. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University, 1995.

 

Penny, David W, ed. Great Lakes Indian Art. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University
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Rabiger, Michael. Directhrg the Documentary. 2"" ed. Boston: Focal Press, 1992.
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Roberts, Christ. Powwow Country. Helena, Montana: American & World Geographic
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Rosenthal, Alan. New Challenges for Documentary. Berkley, California: University of
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67

68

Wolverton, Mike. Raality on Reels: How to Make Documentaries for Video/Radio/Film.
Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Company, 1983.

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