The theme of this year’s Kauai Powwow is “Rejuvenate Your Spirit: Embracing Our Culture and Tradition”.  Powwows are a way of preserving the rich heritage of American Indians.  Kauai Powwow Council’s purpose is to “promote cultural and family values through education”.  It is in the spirit of encouraging exchange of Native American traditions with the Native Hawaiian culture that the Kauai Powwow brings an intercultural experience to the islands of Hawaii.

Native American culture has always fascinated me.  Like every indigenous culture, the innate sense of connection to and respect for nature is refreshing in a world that has largely forgotten that all living things are connected and that ultimately nature is the one in charge.  It is very humbling to spend time with the Powwow folks who come to Kauai each year with hearts open wide willing to share their knowledge, gifts and talents freely. 

I asked Jose, who was the Headman Dancer for 2014, if I could take his photo.  He said yes, walked into the sunlight, straightened out his stunning outfit, and took the stance of a proud man who knew exactly who he was.  He was a man from the Chippewa tribe.  He was grounded in his culture. With a stern but clear look in his eyes, he held his eagle feather and staff with a reverence and pride that is rarely seen in our society. 

As I sat in the heat of the Kauai fall day, I marveled at the intricate and magnificent designs of the regalia that the people wear to perform dances in the arena all day long.  Many folks have travelled far – as far as Washington State, even Canada – to dance in Kauai and share their magnificence with anyone who cares to take some time out of their day to watch and be amazed.  Many nations are represented, including Navajo, Cowichan, Apache, Cherokee to mention but a few.  Feathers of every kind fly in the dance, eagle feathers and stunning headdress worn proudly.  Outfits of every color are worn with bright, beautiful and intricate beading, jewelry, and decorated moccasins.  These people walk in beauty, every part of the regalia from top to toe is detailed, decorative, delightful.  Truly it is a feast for the senses – the sight of the regalia and the dances awash with color and vibrance, the sounds of traditional drumming and chanting, the scents of sage burning and fry bread frying, the sweet taste of homemade lemonade, the sensation of bare feet dancing on earth in the circle dance where everyone is invited to join in.

I watched, mesmerized by the rhythmic dance steps during which the dancer appears to be in direct commune with the earth, and I felt my heart begin to soften and open.  The big-hearted gestures and smiles of this most generous group of people were infectious and I felt deeply moved by the experience.  It was one thing to have read about and experienced some aspects of Native American culture; it was another thing altogether to be immersed in the direct experience of communing with the people themselves.  I breathed a sigh of relief that, at least in the Powwow community, the culture is not only alive but it is thriving.  The world needs this.  To be able to directly experience a culture that has been around for thousands of years is a great reminder how important it is to preserve its essence.

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