A few non native arenas

Follow up on part #1

Women’s traditional eastern woodland dance

Why is it wrong to call an Indian circle an arena?

Traditional eastern woodland grand entry

If you insist on calling your gathering an arena please do not embarrass yourself or insult the ancestors by introducing a fire into it and saying that your god is the fire?

Carnival arena

Circus arena

Monster truck arena

Greek arena

Rodeo arena

Roman arena

Stock Car arena

Paw paus and Powwow

No Doors

No Gate

No restriction

Ever!

Get it?

Got it?

Good

sachemwalkingfox@outlook.com

Why is it wrong to call a Native American circle an arena?

My website at tripod is a blessing and a curse.

Because of this I will once again split my answer into two parts.

A blessing because my 1993 SNET website (Southern New England Telephone) company was sold and is no more.

My 1995 EarthLink was a great website except it is only using dial-up connection, so this is now the oldest of my websites.

So when questions are asked sooner or later it makes its way to this website.

The curse is that because that program was sold and I can no longer update it or answer questions on it, I will never know if the person asking the question will ever see my answer.

Not that I am by any stretch of the imagination an expert, they can at least read and compare answers?

Thank you to the person from City Cairo Al Qahirah Egypt

http://egypt-cairo.com/cairo/cairo.html

Asking the question

Why is it wrong calling an Indian circle an arena and why is the way in not a door?

To my websites

http://walkingfox.tripod.com/id11.html

http://walkingfox.tripod.com/id14.html

http://walkingfox.tripod.com/id12.html

http://walkingfox.tripod.com/id9.html

My Thesaurus calls an Arena~ stadium, show ground, sports ground, pitch, field, ring, dome, amphitheater.

I do not know if the people in India have a circle or if so what they might call it However, the question seems to be directed towards Native Americans because of the many websites that they looked it?

To answer this question and insure a complete understanding as to why this is important one must think ancestors and dig back into past websites and blogs.

PAW~ PAUS

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/paw-paus-verses-new-age-powwows-1-0-1/

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/paw-paus-verses-new-age-powwows-1-0-1/

POWWOW

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/powwow-a-dying-ceremony/

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/powwow-or-paw-paus/

ARENA

OK so, remembering that Paw paus and Powwow belongs to the first people of this land and that I speak only from my teaching from elders around the New York, New England area, this ceremony does not belong to outsiders, if you are an outsider you cannot have it!

If you change it then at the moment that you do, it is no longer a Paw paus or a Powwow, it is a watered down gathering to make money for you, period!

Dealing with the Thesaurus calling an Arena~ stadium, ground, showground, sports ground, pitch, field, ring, dome, amphitheater.

Why is Grand Entry Sacred?

Grand Entry without the Sacred

Welcome to the visitor from the City of Winston Salem North Carolina

http://www.visitwinstonsalem.com/

Glad to have this question once again although this is the first in such a long time at calling it Sacred?

Makes one wonder just who is asking and why?

You see Grand Entry or (Cangi Sidiai Niungo) as it was called at a Paw paus and a powwow up until the early 1960’s, was and should always be Sacred however, I have not heard it called Cangi Sidiai Niungo or Sacred since returning from Vietnam in 1965.

It would seem that after the government made Casino Indians, nothing about the new gatherings is sacred?

One exception, because there is always an exception.

Many years ago while we were still called “The Book People,”

Donna teaches our culture using books and she is very good at it.

I teach in the circle and around the grounds.

At a gathering one year, the head veteran (Auburn University powwow) came asking to use my Pow-Mia Flag, I do not remember why?

After an agreement, because of the Bird of Prey Feathers plus some Sacred Pouches from past Crossing ceremonies, we walked it into the east and placed it over the drum.

About an hour  he came back with another Red Pouch and I said a fast prayer hoping that it was not for Grandfathers Staff!

He came asking if or when the drum could continue a dance because the flag was in the circle?

Point to this posting is.

He came to ask and not just move on with the gathering.

I’ll tell you what I explained to him however, I believe that he was just being polite!

Once the flag and/or staff is placed, the gathering can continue.

I am not using a name because, this person is a veteran and a true traditionalist and I would never embarrass him however, this information was important for me to tell.

Pow Mia without the feathers

sachemwalkingfox@outlook.com

or

sachemuncas@centurylink.net

Tokyo, Tokyo Japan Fox Walk

Native American Fox Walk

Fox walk or Sneak Up?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

Welcome to the visitor from Tokyo, Japan

Looking for information about Native American Fox walk.

To one of my old websites at

Native American Spiritualism

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/spiritualityreligion/

http://walkingfox.tripod.com/id14.html

I am not sure just what is was that you were looking for because you ended up on one of my Spirituality sites, so to make sure that we get to your question, I have three answers for you to choose from?

First, I personally have never heard of the words Fox Walk?

So I checked my trackers and it would seem that others believe that you are looking for a game that they are calling fox walk?

This is a welcome reminder of my youth and a good way to show some of the many ways that the public is welcome into a circle.

So, let’s get started with my answer as taught to me by my elders as I was growing up?

(1)- Spirituality

I have many posting about this like this one.

American Native Spirituality

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/american-native-spirituality/

(2)- Original Sneak up

The reason why I believe that this is what you were looking for and the main reason why the ill-equipped natives around the New England area were able to hold their own against the well equipped Europeans, is this game played while I was growing up in Uncasvillage.

Our ancestors learned at an earlier age to pay close attention to the birds, plants and animals for a safer life and a better way to feed the people.

If you could just sit on a stump and watch a fox, I have many times, it is willing to take all the time needed to hunt it’s food.

It will sneak up from down wind through bushes and trees one foot at a time moving each leg extremely slowly placing toe, heal toe, heal until it is close enough to pounce on its prey.

The prey has many ways to stop the fox, like turning and pointing at the fox, or grabbing onto the fox until the teacher declares the fox as the new prey.

This game is useless unless player outside because one needs to hear the fox coming?

A new player to the game stands in complete silence, blind folded in the center of a circle of others, also in complete silence, a teacher points to anyone or a number of others around the circle to act like a wild animal (such as a fox) and sneak up to pounce on his or her prey, because this was in training for life in the wild.

Also played later on if all have played the game many times, this time each fox not able to sneak up on the prey, becomes the next prey.

This game teaches many things needed to be able to successfully hunt for food and/or go to war.

(3)- Sneak up enjoyed at our Paw paus (powwow)

This is a dance in the circle almost the same as the old sneak up, also a fun dance.

The drum or drums drum a dance of their choice and at the direction of the head drummer, change to a war drum as many time as they wish and all dancers must get into a dance that they choose as if on a hunt or at war and sneak up on their prey of enemy.

This is completely under the control of the head drummer or MC depending on the tribe putting on the gathering.

A fun dance for young and old.

This is the oldest dance in our culture.

The regalia should represent the animals that the Creator put on the earth.

The movements tell of warrior actions-hunting, stalking the game, battling an enemy.

This is as close as I can find to our original dance 17th Annual Summer Shawnee Woodland Powwow – Sneak-up Dance

http://youtu.be/byRYryBGG5M

Powwow verses Paw-paus -1-0-1?

Part two of two parts

It is time again to create some more enemies?

A blog in two parts, this one is about the New Age Powwow’s sometimes called Intertribal?

I guess that so many of our traditional elders complaining in the past forced them to add a name to their gatherings?

You may either just get mad at me and move on or you may now start to understand why so many elders throughout our area get so traumatized by this new age movement?

Remember, this is only about Eastern Woodland American Native gatherings around the New England area and up and down the east coast.

Allow me to explain.

To understand we must keep going back to the first powwows and the reason for them?

Mr. Powwow, I say this to help drive in an important point, is an Evil Spirit sent to us from the Trickster, the ultimate Evil Spirit.

The extremely rude invaders ( acting like this Mr. powwow) from overseas demanded the right to join our Sacred Ceremonies, so our ancestor fluffed the ceremonies, made them pretty but hollow and allowed them in.

Seeing just how boring that they were, the invaders stopped coming around, mission accomplished.

Our powwows,.

I say our, because true traditional eastern woodland natives still closely follow the ancestors paw-paus!

O.K. back to an intertribal powwow.

The first time I walked head first into a new age arena powwow was the first powwow put on by the Mohegan Casino, sorry but this is true!

Grand Entry started with a group of cowboys wearing plains Indian headdress riding around this arena shooting rifles in the air inside this large tent?

I should have said first and last time I made this visit.

I guess that they felt that it was necessary making all this fuss in order to wake up Kiehtan (Creator)?

First we must take away the Sacred Fire in the west and place it in the middle of an arena, no more circle, that is if they even have a fire now?

So now we must have an Arena Director.

This new age powwow in also no longer from a Tribal Matriarch Society.

This is a Patriarchy Society?

By this I mean that the line up to Grand Entry is totally mixed up and changed around.

First we must have the grass mowed down by Plains Indian Grass Dancers?

Looks a little strange when some times the powwow is held in a school basketball court?

The Head Veteran is now just around there for looks because we are using this director and/or a gatekeeper, not sure what his job is?

Men, elder men, are moved to the front of the line to hold flags and something that looks like a Plains Indian Chiefs War Club or Staff?

Please do not get me wrong because there is nothing bad about a Plains Indian’s Gathering in central America, been there enjoyed that.

Next in the line veterans, then elder women, warriors and then younger females, no longer such a thing as a Sachem, Head Clan Mother or much of anything else resembling an eastern woodland native group of people, most are dressed in Canadian or Plains Indian costumes.

Remember, while all of this lining up we have someone called a medicine man and/or medicine woman trying to smoke clean the place and the people?

Getting into their arena will be another posting this is getting long enough?

Paw-paus – verses new age powwows- 1-0-1?

Part one of two parts.

It is time once again to create some enemies?

Read on to see why.

A blog in two parts, this one is about the ancestors original gatherings they called Paw- paus( pow-waous) and then compare it with part two of two the New Age Powwow’s, sometimes called Intertribal?

This would help you understand just why elders like ‘yours truly’ tend to get so upset when it comes to truth or fiction when explaining our people, culture, ceremonies, our ancestors and the past?

This is a posting on the original structure or setup, of how my elders, now ancestors, laid out and enjoyer their gatherings.

First.

All of the Paw- paus are of the Eastern Woodland area up and down the east coast only, so they are always of a Matriarch Society design?

It is the responsibility, charged by Shechaim (Sachem) to our Head Clan Mother and Head Veteran, “time for our Paw-paus”.

Head Clan Mother assemble the best of the tribe for the particular job at hand, remember in our tribe each of these people now become chiefs until the Paw-paus is over and everything is cleaned, cleared and stored correctly until the next time needed.

Each chief, male or female is in charge of a particular project.

The first assignment of this group of people, assuming that they have a place picked out, at preparing the gathering would be finding the best spot in the west for a Sacred Fire and then cleaning and clearing the spot for the Sacred Circle.

In order to save space on this posting please refresh your memories as needed on these two past postings?

Firekeeper/Keeper of the Circle

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/firekeeper/

Keeper of the Fire After Grand Entry

https://sachemspeaks.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/keeper-of-the-fire-after-grand-entry/

STOP!

Hope that you start to notice the first major change from original to new age at this point and on?

This is a gathering that my ancestors enjoyed and by my people for many centuries!

This gathering is for members of the tribe, their family, friends and invited guests.

Remember that old saying?

WHEN IN ROME?

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/When+in+Rome

What I am saying is that all are invited, in good faith, to join the gathering, never to run or interrupt our gathering?

I say this because we have for many years allowed others to push their belief over our beliefs!

O K back to Paw-paus

Because this is of a Matriarch and not a Patriarchy Society, women are first in line to be smudged at the Sacred fire in the west and first at the circle in the east.

The smudging at the fire was always tobacco (Kinnick, Kinnick), no need for a smudging fire, towards the end of the 1940’s Sage and Sweet Grass was also allowed.

All tribal Staffs from any tribe throughout Indian country along with all approved flags, as long as they give a courtesy notification within a reasonable time set by the Head Veteran before Grand Entry to allow the group time to make a respectable place of honor for each staff and flag?

Just before Grand Entry, Staffs and Flags were walked in around and on to the place of honor, no fan fair, no recordings of any kind until all are in place, strictly enforced.

Grand Entry started with a Traditional drum respect to women called the Women’s song, all drums joined in for this and everyone at the Paw-paus stood if possible, with a feather salute until all of the women were dancing in place around the circle.

At the ending of each days gatherings a 2nd Women’s song and our traditional women were danced out the east again with the feather salute (feather Salute Bird of Prey Feathers) no one dropped the salute or left the area until the last traditional woman passed through the east.

Next, the veterans, all are encouraged native and non native, to dance the circle by starting with the earliest in battles ( since WW-1, the word battles was changed to war as in WW-1, WW-2, Korean, Vietnam and so on), followed by all remaining female dancers, followed by warriors, last would always be the Shechaim being danced in with War Chiefs and elders carrying POW-MIA flags and a flag with the names of our fallen warriors.

Note, POW MIA an Name Flag are then placed at the east.

A name flag has the names of fallen service people of the tribe however, any tribe should dance their name flags along with the Shechaim.

Remember that at all Paw-paus dancers are in Sacred Regalia, absolutely no recording until announced, also strictly enforced!

Never a charge because they are usually on members property, if not and needed a donation bucket is set someplace with an explanation, all venders pay only for electric and/or water if using and must be inspected if food venders.

P.S.

The friends of members danced in would also include any creation (pets and so on) as long as this creation would not interrupt the gathering as in fighting amount themselves.

There is no need for a rodeo arena director because one if not both the Head Clan Mother along with her many clan helpers plus the Head Veteran is at hand for questions and/ or problems.

The myths about our symbols, flag or staff, Part two

While writing about our flag, called the Sachem’s Staff, I must write from my past teaching from our elders, now ancestors.

Like Old Glory, a Sachem’s Staff is sacred to our people, so much so that it is never to be recorded or abused.

A blessing for Sachem.

The last time that I was able to enjoy the powwow trail we were at an Auburn University Student powwow many years ago.

The Head Veteran walked over, stood to be recognized then handed me tobacco, left hand to left hand and asked permission for my staff in the circle.

You all know me, the big bag of wind, I spent so much time explaining the history of my Great Grandfathers staff, while he stood in silence.

He then said “thank you Sachem, please walk my circle with me, we will make the circle worthy of grandfather”.

That was the only hiccup of the day, make a circle worthy of Creator.

The next intermission we, every veteran in his group, walked my great grandfathers staff and my peoples POW~MIA Flag into the circle and set them in the East.

I am so proud of those students and that University and will never forget!

I am a proud citizen of the United States of America.

I am also a proud New England Native American descendent.

My ancestors also have a flag, or should I say, a symbol (Sachems Staff) for our people (Mohiingan) and our tribe.

This symbol was in use long before Old Glory of course because we were around long before the United States of America.

Yes, many other tribes have a Chiefs Staff, some now also have a flag?

For this reason it does not matter to my people where a flag must be at any time, because, our symbol as well as all of our ceremonies, should always be shown to the left.

So, if presented with other symbols from other countries it should never be a problem.

That was until this newer group of gatherings, loosely called powwows.

Everyone of the hundreds of Paw-paus that I have attended, all of the Sachem staff’s go into any Sacred Circle before Grand Entry and set in a place of honor, once set recordings are welcome.

This blog does not care where other tribes wish to place a flag or a staff because this blog is only here to teach you about my people?

I am no expert on other countries or tribes.

However, if you are at our gatherings, this blog now cares. Please respect our ways.

All for the powwows up until the early 1980’s, Sachems and guest Chief staff’s do the same, they go in before Grand Entry, Creator is always invited first and before the people. It is also easier at avoiding any recordings.

From the time soon after my Grandfather sent my cousin, his War Chief out west, we have also allowed flags, as long as they were presented properly to follow the staff’s at the beginning of Grand Entry.

We do not have a rodeo, circus or carnival, we always have a Paw-paus or the old fashion powwows and do so four times a year, so if you come to visit, all are always welcome, enjoy an old fashion Traditional Gathering of the People.

What is this thing called PAW~PAUS?

Why can’t this thing be found all over the internet?

It must be one of those secret sacred ceremonies Sachem keeps talking about?

NO.

It is not a secret sacred ceremony.

It is however, a ceremony and very much alive today.

It is a vessel (ceremony) used four times a year, sometime even more often, by the ancestors into which many of our Sacred Ceremonies are enjoyed.

The only reason why one, until after this posting, cannot find information about this ceremony is simple.

No phony, wannabe, impersonator has been able to steal enough information in order to fool the masses, plus you cannot make money off of it.

P.S.

It is only polite to ask before taking information from someone’s  website or blog?

Ask my WordPress friends, we all enjoy re blogging and someday even I might get it right?

Back before first contact before the Europeans made it necessary for the people to change the gatherings, the first people around the East Coast held our gathering call a Paw-paus.

Our gatherings are what today’s powwows started out looking like believe it or not, only with no Sacred Ceremonies in them without a special invitation.

Sorry to say that not much in today’s powwow’s look anything like a Paw-paus.

Paw-paus

No fence marking off the circle, no charge ever to entry the grounds.

No Arena Director because it has no arena, no keeper of a gate. It has a circle, cleaned and cleared always with the intent of an invitation to Creator for a blessing and a dance or two.

Food venders were always welcome as long as they provided their own power and could prove that the food was tasty and safe to the consumers, yes, they do charge.

All venders knew before traveling that this is a gathering of the people and that anyone wishing to could provide a dish and if they wish a small gift for the share blanket.

No one sold things unless they could prove that it was made by hand and by our people from around Indian country.

Even if this vender was with or without a government plastic card.

The Paw-paus was usually held on someone from the tribe’s land or permission from a sponsor to use their land, so many did have a donation bucket, drop into or if need be take from?

As stated above, many time all of our Sacred Ceremonies, even a Crossing once in a while, were held in a Paw-Paus.

Soon after first contact, because the Europeans were starting to get extremely pushy at wanting into this very spiritual event.

Sachem’s of the New England tribes came together to find a fast safe way out of this situation.

Long before this first contact our ancestors knew of an evil Shaman warlock that practice Shamanism.

This Shaman warlock name was known to the people as powwow and was an extremely evil wicked spirit.

The Sachem’s of these true American native people placed the problem where they knew that they would get an answer.

In the hands of their clan mothers.

After many debates about the problem the clan mothers came up with, why not use the name powwow and a great explanation as to why it should be used.

It would seem that our invaders from across the waters acted very much like this Sharman powwow.

So why not start having an event like our paw-paus and invite them all?

The problem day that was unforeseen by our ancestor is now many of these powwows are infested with shamans, witches and warlocks, some even running it!

This would be a very good reason to explain why no American native advertises when and where we are holding our Paw-paus and why it is still so hard to get information.

Why can’t one ever be adopted at a powwow?

First, if you are adopted or you adopt in a non native situation as you will see from the following article, at any time you could end up in court with a very real possibility of no longer being adopted or you could lose the person that you adopted.

If you have been to a powwow or gatherings in this age of casino Indians and someone adopted you, gave you an Indian name or in any way you were told that you were now able to join a ceremony or our culture, you have been duped!

You are still a non native!

No!

It is not permitted for me to open up our Sacred Ceremonies to discussion, it must be suffice to say if this happened to you, you still do not have the blood, you cannot join any true traditional tribal group of people, most of all you cannot get into any casino money!

Anyone that still needs to know why my people have only one way to be adopted and why it takes so long to be adopted?

Three words for you to think about!

Baby Veronica’s Case?

http://jezebel.com/the-heartbreaking-story-of-a-native-american-adoption-g-474984103

Just one of thousands.

How many times have you ever heard about a True Traditional American Native Tribal Adoption going sour?

Paw-paus

Welcome to the visitor from the City of Cleveland Ohio

http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home

To my websites and postings looking for information about our Paw-paus.

I have been to a few powwows in your state and know well about those biting bugs that come out of the lake to feast now and again.

Although the Shawnee people were very much  like my people in days long ago, I have never seen an indication that they did or now do anything like our Paw-paus.

I have been to many of their gatherings and powwow and find them to be traditional. I am also proud to say that I have met many Shawnee and enjoyed every visit.

A little personal note, I would like to see all tribes get back to this traditional type of gathering (Paw-paus) as well as powwow’s, it is very refreshing to say the least.