Running head: NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN POW WOW

Native American Indian Pow Wow Cultural Observation

California State University Stanislaus
Nikki Thao

Native American Indian Pow Wow Cultural Observation

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Culture is an entity that embodies a significant part of an individuals life as the persons
norms, beliefs, and values are taken into consideration. Culture describes a part of an individuals
personal identity as it incorporates the beliefs and values that he/she has learned as a child; In
which, is then expressed through his/ her behavior. Within every ethnical and social group,
culture is uniquely defined as everyone has their own culture (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2010,
pp. 116). How culture can be express within todays society can vary from religious ceremonies
to cultural festivals to alternative health practices. The Native American Indian Pow Wow is an
example of a cultural festival that introduces traditional and cultural components of life as a
Native American.
Purpose and Overview of Festival
The purpose of the American Indian Pow Wow, that was held at the University of Pacific
in Stockton, CA, was to celebrate Native American culture and traditions that were expressed
through dancing and singing. The festival united various Native Americans tribes from around
the United States, who gathered to share their tribal dances and customs. The Indian Pow Wow
was opened to the public, where many diverse ethnical groups, such as Whites, African
Americans, Asians, etc. attended. The festival was held in an open field with canopies forming a
circle, in which the center stage was located in the middle. Various booths, displaying Native
American artifacts, such as bows and arrows, dream catchers, paintings, accessories, jewelries,
animal fur, and traditional clothing, were scattered throughout the festival. There were also
booths that had authentic Native American foods, such as buffalo stew and tacos. The public
could enjoy listening to the beat of drums, as dancers from different tribes performed their
routine dance. Other activities included the selection of the Pow- Wow Princess, 50/50 raffles,
and cash prizes for best dance/ performance. During the introduction of the Pow-Wow, the M.C.,
Val ShadowHawk, welcomed everyone to the festival and invited one of the elder tribal members

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to perform a blessing for the festival and the flag ceremony. During the ceremony, everyone was
expected be respectful and stand up because spiritual blessing and beliefs holds an important
meaning in Native American culture. The audience was to remain quiet as the elder shared his
wisdom and blessed the dancers and the people who were carrying the flags. It was important
that if a person wanted to take photos, he/ she were required to ask for permission first. The
Native American Indian Pow Wow was a cultural event that did not tolerate the use of drugs,
alcohol, violence, and weapons.
World View
Worldview defines how culture plays an important part in determining a persons
awareness of the world. In other words, how an individual interprets the world is based on the
beliefs and values he/she has learned through culture. Though worldview can be interpreted
differently by many individuals, it does incorporate that individuals religious beliefs. Samovar,
Porter, & McDaniel (2012) notes that religion is the core establishment of an individuals view of
the world, as the belief he/ she has learn is applied. Native American worldview expressed
through the American Indian Pow Wow reflects an importance of family and harmony. At the
festival, dancers who participated had not only their immediate family to support them; their
extended family was also in attendance. Among the Native American culture, people are
universally connected, whether it is emotionally or in person. Life is considered a meaningful
entity that should be lived to the fullness, with little concerns of whats ahead (Allender et al.,
2010, pp.130). The American Indian Pow Wow festival represents a way in which Native
Americans can connect with people, as they share their customs and traditions. It is a way of
preserving their history. As noted by Allender et al. (2010), because of conflicts between Native
Americans and Whites in the past, a reflection of lack of trust and resentment may be present. To
a certain degree, there is a drawback from integrating into the American culture.

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Historical Background
The phrase pow wow originates from the time of the Pawnee tribe, who was known to
perform religious ceremonies, which involved dancing and rituals. Back then, the term was
originally thought to have met pau wau, which was believed to be related to healing
ceremonies. While other tribes believed it meant the gathering of people for celebration and
significant events, such as name calling and rituals. The origin of when the Pow Wow began is
not noted in Native American History, but other tribes have adopted the concept as part of their
culture. Back then, Pow Wows held an important religious and spiritual meaning. Tribes often
held Pow Wows as part of a welcoming ceremony, name calling, and blessing for warriors who
were preparing for war (Pow Wow, 2013).
Today, large proportions of Native American Pow Wows do not hold religious ceremonies
anymore, as they are often done in the warmth of the homes. However, there are still some
ceremonies such as blessings (McCluskey & Montana State Office of Public Instruction, 1995).
Nowadays, Pow Wows are organized as a way for Native Americans to celebrate and share their
culture, which are presented through dancing, singing, and revealing fineries that have been
carefully woven by the women. The Indian Pow Wow gives Native Americans an opportunity to
educate the public about their native culture.
Nursing Implications
As future nurses who will someday encounter a Native American patient, it is important
that we are aware of the patients religion and cultural beliefs. People have absolute faith in their
cultural beliefs and can be offended if an outsider does not respect that belief. As nurses, we need
to be culturally sensitive to our patients belief, in order to build a bond and trust with our
patient. According to Allender et al. (2010), every Native American tribe and nation has their
own unique language, as well as, customs and beliefs. Nurses should be aware that taking caring

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of one tribal patient would not be the same as taking care of another patient from a different
tribe. Making assumptions should not be practice, as each patient has their own specific needs.
Native Americans hold a strong belief in the realm of spirits and believe that all living
things go through some kind of cycle. Tribal groups believe in the use of traditional medicine
and spiritual healing. As nurses, we have to understand what is appropriate and not in a hospital
setting and share it with the family. Spiritual blessings and home- made foods can be appropriate
if it does affect the patients health or the environment. Many Native Americans live in
reservations and have minimal access to healthcare, which exposes them to poorer living
conditions and lack of nutrition. In fact, a majority of Native American adults are prone to health
risks such as diabetes and obesity (Allender et al., 2010). It is important to teach our Native
American patients about proper nutritional intakes of fruits and vegetables and to limit
consumption of simple carbs and sugars.
Observer Feelings
As an observer, I enjoyed the beauty of the festival, which incorporated many aspects of
Native American culture. This is my first time attending one of these events and I was happy to
have attended. The richness and effort that the dancers and singers put into making their
traditional outfits was heartwarming because each outfit had its own distinct pattern and design.
The dances and singing was really fascinating to watch. It felt like I was caught into the rhythm
as the drums were playing. The festival was very welcoming and organized. Overall, I think that
festival was amusing because I learn a lot about the Native American culture and how different it
is from my own culture. Being able to enjoy and experience someone elses culture has really
given me an insight on how much people have faith in their values and beliefs within their
culture.

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References
Allender, J. A., Rector, C., & Warner, K. D. (2010). Community & public health nursing:
promoting the publics health. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
McCluskey, M., & Montana State Office of Public Instruction, H. a. (1995). Your guide to
understanding and enjoying pow wows.
Pow wow. (2013). The American Indian Heritage Foundation. Retrieved September 28, 2012,

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from http://www.indians.org/articles/powwow.html.
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E.R. (2012). Worldview in intercultural
communication: a religio- cosmological approach. (13th Ed), Intercultural
Communication (pp.56-60). Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books