thedrifter
08-12-07, 06:47 AM
Indians retrace ancient steps
By Omar Fekeiki
The Washington Post
Article Last Updated: 08/11/2007 11:39:34 PM MDT
Washington - They call the drum "Desert Thunder." A group of American Indian soldiers and Marines stationed near Fallujah in western Iraq in 2004 fashioned the drum, stretching the tarp from a cot across the top of a barrel.
They wanted to hold a powwow in the middle of the war zone, and a drum is an intrinsic part of the ceremony.
"We were missing our powwow," said Staff Sgt. Debra Mooney of the Oklahoma-based 120th Engineer Battalion of the Army National Guard, recalling the ceremony outside Fallujah. "In our hearts and minds, we were right at home."
The makeshift drum was at center stage at the Verizon Center on Friday, where the third National Powwow is continuing this weekend. On opening day, veterans of the Iraq and Vietnam wars, some in military uniform, marched to the beat of drums as part of a tribute to the "fallen warriors" and to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The National Powwow, which continues through today, is sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. It is held every two years and is one of dozens held throughout the country from spring to fall.
For the powwow, the convention floor was transformed by the presence of American Indians from about 250 tribes. One thousand dancers, many in fringed deerskin dresses and feather hats, performed a variety of dances throughout the day.
Each dance has its own history and symbolism.
Cheryl Foye Cromwell, 40, came from Massachusetts. She wore tan deerskin regalia, and to protect herself against evil, she crowned herself with six feathers.
"They are spiritual medicine," Cromwell said, after performing a dance called the Eastern Blanket.
"It's a dance that represents me as a woman," she said. "I'm representing myself as a young girl growing up and becoming a young woman, giving birth and having children and becoming the center of the family."
Cromwell's daughter, Dominique, 10, had another story to tell in "the butterfly dance" as she twirled and hopped with 12 other children.
"I like butterflies," Dominique said. "I like dancing too. I dance for my family members that passed away."
Ellie
By Omar Fekeiki
The Washington Post
Article Last Updated: 08/11/2007 11:39:34 PM MDT
Washington - They call the drum "Desert Thunder." A group of American Indian soldiers and Marines stationed near Fallujah in western Iraq in 2004 fashioned the drum, stretching the tarp from a cot across the top of a barrel.
They wanted to hold a powwow in the middle of the war zone, and a drum is an intrinsic part of the ceremony.
"We were missing our powwow," said Staff Sgt. Debra Mooney of the Oklahoma-based 120th Engineer Battalion of the Army National Guard, recalling the ceremony outside Fallujah. "In our hearts and minds, we were right at home."
The makeshift drum was at center stage at the Verizon Center on Friday, where the third National Powwow is continuing this weekend. On opening day, veterans of the Iraq and Vietnam wars, some in military uniform, marched to the beat of drums as part of a tribute to the "fallen warriors" and to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The National Powwow, which continues through today, is sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. It is held every two years and is one of dozens held throughout the country from spring to fall.
For the powwow, the convention floor was transformed by the presence of American Indians from about 250 tribes. One thousand dancers, many in fringed deerskin dresses and feather hats, performed a variety of dances throughout the day.
Each dance has its own history and symbolism.
Cheryl Foye Cromwell, 40, came from Massachusetts. She wore tan deerskin regalia, and to protect herself against evil, she crowned herself with six feathers.
"They are spiritual medicine," Cromwell said, after performing a dance called the Eastern Blanket.
"It's a dance that represents me as a woman," she said. "I'm representing myself as a young girl growing up and becoming a young woman, giving birth and having children and becoming the center of the family."
Cromwell's daughter, Dominique, 10, had another story to tell in "the butterfly dance" as she twirled and hopped with 12 other children.
"I like butterflies," Dominique said. "I like dancing too. I dance for my family members that passed away."
Ellie