Learning Through Tradition at the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's Powwow

"Don't point at anything," was the phrase I kept repeating as I entered the powwow arena on The Hill, a campground on Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's Isabella Indian Reservation in Mt. Pleasant. 

Of the guidelines provided by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, most of them were new to me but seemed intuitive enough to follow: 

"Ask permission before taking pictures of dancers."  

"Always stand during special songs."  

"If you see a lost feather, don't pick it up." 

But to be invited onto sacred grounds and not instinctively gesture in excitement was a hard one to hold onto. I kept my hands by my side as I wandered the circle of vendors, noticing tables overflowing with beaded jewelry, colorful feathers dangling from dreamcatchers, and bright red strawberry motifs on clothing and bags.  

I nodded my head toward the food vendors that drew me in with the scent of fry bread and handwritten menus with tempting descriptions like Indian tacos and wild rice soup. But the real test of my will came when the drummers launched into a deep, soul-stirring thumping and a seemingly endless stream of dancers dressed in full regalia encircled the open-air arena. 

Everywhere I looked during the Grand Entry, there was something new to notice (but not point at) with curiosity and excitement – the little boy in rich regalia strutting confidently across the grounds as if he had been coming here for decades, the small gifts of tobacco handed to each cultural participant as they joined the circle from the eastern entrance, the lilt of metal cones clanging together on women's jingle dresses, and traditional male dancers proudly wearing headpieces made from porcupine hair and deer tail.  

At a powwow, everything is spectacular – to be sure – but not solely made for spectators. It's an event rooted in joyful participation, and as a non-Native attendee, my way of joining in was as an active learner. 

"How do I ... do this right?" I asked many of the tribal members who produce and perform in the Mt. Pleasant Saginaw Chippewa Powwow year after year. 

"If you went up to a dancer, pointed to their bear claw, and asked, 'Hey, what is that for?' That would be invasive," said Marcella Hadden, an Anishinaabe photographer and former Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. "What they wear is sacred, and how they dress is part of who they are so it's personal and private."  

While sitting down with Joseph Sowmick, a Saginaw Chippewa tribal elder and dancer, my questions tumbled out faster than my brain could keep up with. 

"I was blown away by the dancers that I saw last night; what is the process behind creating costumes like that?" I asked him.  

"In this case, the correct term would be 'regalia,' or 'outfit,'" he explained. "Each piece of regalia on the dancer is a spiritual gift that tells a story. For example, the bandolier bag I have here has woodland designs from our tribe; there's a reason behind the colors and the designs to stay close to the culture." 

The gentle correction followed by a personal anecdote made the connection that much stronger and ensured that I wouldn't repeat my mistake.  

While admiring the tables covered in handcrafted beaded jewelry, I resisted the temptation to run my fingers over individual pieces in search of the right one.  

"It is respectful to ask," said Alice Jo Ricketts, a tribal council member and an award-winning Ojibwe beadwork artist. "Not everyone understands the etiquette, and by asking if you can touch the work, it becomes a teaching moment."    

Over the course of the weekend's festivities, I collected insights through conversations and observations. Drums pounded in the center circle, considered the heartbeat of the nation. Dancers formed around the center circle while spectators watched from the third circle and merchants formed the outer circle. Those strawberry motifs I saw are a reflection of the spiritually significant wild strawberry, known as ode’imin, which translates as "heart berry." Signs throughout the campground included words in Anishinaabemowin language – like Jiingtamok (powwow), nibi (water) and manoomin (wild rice) – which tribal citizens have been working to relearn after generations of cultural erasure.   

When I had the chance to sit down with Sowmick, we chatted about his lifetime of attending and performing in powwows. I asked about his experiences both before and after the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, which marked the time when Indigenous tribes could once again express their religion and traditions through sacred ceremonies, music and dance. 

In response, Sowmick carefully uncovered a large eagle feather, the shaft wrapped in yellow, red, black and white to reflect the colors of the medicine wheel, and with blue to represent Father Sky and green for Mother Earth.  

"Since you mentioned 1978, that was when we were able to hold sacred gifts like this. Before then, we weren't able to share our teachings – but today, a powwow means that you can come onto our reservation, keep an open mind and learn something you didn't know. And that’s all we ask of people."  

The Annual Saginaw Chippewa Powwow, formerly known as Little Elk's Retreat Powwow, takes place every July at the Saginaw Chippewa Campground ("The Hill"). Now running for more than 40 years, this competitive powwow draws hundreds of dancers, drummers, singers, crafts people and culinary vendors from around the country. For more information and etiquette insights on attending the powwow, visit the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe site and visit Meet Mt. Pleasant to learn more about the powwow and other cultural experiences in the region.  

Author bio 

Sarika Chawla is an award-winning writer based in New York. Find her at SarikaChawla.com.