Tag: dance practice

Guest Blogger: Julie H.

Powwow dancing at its best!
Everyone has such a great time at St. Joseph’s Indian School’s powwow!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!  My name is Julie H. and I have been at St. Joseph’s for almost 11 years.  Every day I thank God for leading me to this wonderful place!  I cannot tell you how much I enjoy working with our students and staff!  I also hope you all know that we are so very thankful for the donations of money, prayers and encouragement we receive from you!

This is a busy and exciting week at St. Joseph’s.  Saturday we will have our annual powwow.  The students have been working hard at dance practice and they are all getting excited for Saturday.  The powwow is always a great way to meet families, students and you – the donors who have the opportunity to come and visit.  We always love to see new faces and familiar faces alike!

So what is the powwow like?

It is a great way to see the Native dances of the Lakota (Sioux) people.  It is filled with bright colors, wonderful drum music and great dancing.  Earlier in the day, visitors have the opportunity to tour the school and homes. As the day winds down, we also share a meal together. The powwow is truly a fun-filled day!

And this year, the weather looks to be perfect!  God truly does bless us!

All are welcome at the powwow.  It is a day of fellowship and friendship.  If you are coming to join us for the powwow this year, and you find yourself with questions about St. Joseph’s, just find someone in a blue shirt, they will be happy to give explanations and answer any questions you may have!  We hope to see as many of you as possible at our powwow this year!

As always, THANK YOU for your prayers and encouragement for St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Without you, our generous benefactors, we could not do the wonderful work we do!

God Bless you all,

Julie H.

Guest Blogger: LaRayne

Two Native American girls take a break from powwow practice!
Laurissa and Shawnna take a break from powwow dance practice to smile for the camera!

We are all looking forward to hosting many visitors and friends at our 36th annual St. Joseph’s Indian School Powwow! We are busy having dance practices with St. Joseph’s students.  To date, we have around sixty kids who plan on dancing at our annual powwow.  This number always increases as powwow nears.

The favorite style for the girls is fancy shawl and the boys like grass the best. The dances look simple and easy, but when it comes to being judged at the powwow, there are several elements that come into play.  Not only the foot and body work, but hands, head and accessories also play a part in the judging process.  Having beadwork on one’s regalia is also a plus for the judge’s eye.

Because many of our Native American students only dance at our powwow, it is a challenge to convince them that they must “showcase” themselves to the judges in order to gain points.  All in all, it is a fun time practicing and dancing at our annual powwow.

Our staff are also preparing for powwow.  This is one organization that comes together for one of our many great events of the year.  It is great to see staff, families and our students along with the community, friends and donors share in a great cultural experience.