Official Kids Mag

Jingle dancers wear – you guessed it – a lot of cone-shaped bells on their costumes. As they dance in the Circle, the bells make jingly sounds. The food is another great thing about a powwow. Indian tacos, fry bread, turkey legs, corn on the cob and more delicious items are available. What should you know about attending a powwow? BE RESPECTFUL. At the powwow, you are a guest at an important gathering. Be quiet when quiet is called for. If you have a question, ask it politely. the circle The Circle is a very important part of a powwow, and everything happens in the Circle. The Circle is very important in Native American tradition. It represents a never-ending world, where time is endless and everyone is treated equally. The Circle should never be broken. So, when you're at a powwow, do not walk through a drum group's setting, across the dance grounds or anywhere that crosses the Circle. Always walk around the Circle of the powwow. Don't ask to touch a dancer's regalia. Taking photos of dances while they are happening is allowed, except during special moments or songs. Outside of the Circle, it is polite to ask permission to take a photo of a dancer, drummer or other participant. the history of the Quapaw Powwow In the years around the Civil War, the Quapaw – like many Native Americans – were a poor people and were not seen as citizens, but something less than. Even though they were given new land in a treaty of 1833, they had to ask permission to hunt and make improvements to the lands they had been given. In 1866, the Quapaw, sent a delegation to Washington, hoping to sell two chunks of the land given in that 1833 treaty. Settlers were eager to continue their expanse west, and land was needed to do so. The Quapaw, along with several other tribes, signed the Seneca Treaty of 1867. In that treaty, in return for the land, the federal government promised the Quapaw lump sum of $5,000 and a fee of $1.25 per acre for one part of the land and $1.13 per acre for the second part, and promised they would be paid interest. Unfortunately, the $5,000 was not paid until 1869, and by this time the Quapaw situation was becoming very dire, so that $5,000 did not go very far. Because they were facing starvation, many of the Quapaw fled to other reservations. Only about 40 Quapaw stayed behind on the reservation and survived by eating whatever they could find. Finally, in 1872, five years after the treaty, the federal government paid the Quapaw $25,000 for the land they had purchased in 1867. The Quapaw were very grateful to other tribes that had helped them through their time of need, including the Wyandotte, Ottawa and Osage. To pay tribute to all those that had helped, the Quapaw held what was known as a "picnic" and invited the other tribes to come celebrate. They celebrated many things that first year— family, friends and most of all the ability to eat again. This is why food is such an important part of the powwow. Each year they continued this tradition, and in the 1920s it officially took on the name of "the Quapaw Powwow." This year is the 150th celebration of the Quapaw Powwow. 30 • July 2022 • www.OfficialKidsMag.com

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