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Article: Heartbeat of Mother Earth.(pow wow, Native American culture)
- Article from:
- Highlights for Children
- Article date:
- April 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Highlights for Children, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When I was growing up on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation in Oregon in the 1950s, there were no pow wows--only a potluck at the tribal community center. Old men, dressed in black pants and white long-sleeved shirts, sat around the cafeteria tables. Their large hands pounded the tabletops in unison as their voices sang in Chinook. A few elderly women rose from their folding chairs. They danced, holding their lacy sweaters like shawls. Their feet stepped to each beat of the makeshift drum. My cousins and I hopped excitedly, as if the floor was on fire. And the grandparents all smiled.
Today, pow wows are more than social ...