"But no matter how small or large the powwow,
it is still the same in spirit. It's still a celebration
through song and dance, and it's public and open
to anyone, even people who have no experience.
People go to powwows to have a good time - to
hear the songs and dance tor watch the dancers,
see friends, share meals, tell stories and remember
the past."
There are seven books in the Orca Origins series: Passover, Chinese New Year, Birthdays, Diwali, Christmas, Ramadan, and the book I will share here. Powwow was written after its author, while teaching a university aboriginal education course, realized how little her students knew about Indigenous peoples in Canada. She wrote this book for those students.
As we have come to expect from such Orca series, Powwow shows how dynamic nonfiction can inform and engage readers. The table of contents invites choice, offering four separate chapters before moving to back matter that includes a glossary, resources, and an index. Chapter One speaks to the power of the powwow culture with the following topic headings: colonization, the Indian Act and the Pass System, The Wild West Shows, A Growing Powwow Culture, Banned No Longer, Twelve Months a Year, and My Father's Story. The three remaining chapters follow the same pattern. They are: What is Powwow Culture, Powwow Songs and Dances, and Powwows From Coast to Coast. As you can see, there is much to be learned.
Filled with wonderful, colorful photographs and many archival ones as well, middle grade readers and their teachers are able to add to their knowledge through visual literacy. The personal stories and conversational language make for a powerful read. Books like this one can only help to bring understanding and knowledge as we strive to participate in truth and reconciliation initiatives. The more we learn, the better equipped we are to see the mistakes of the past and to do better in the future.
The 88 pages are filled with recipes, powwow facts, captioned photos, and many personal stories. Traditions are varied, powwows themselves differ from place to place, and there is powwow etiquette to be honored. One of the Powwow Fact sidebars provides 10 rules meant to make attendance easier and more thoughtful. Powwow culture continues to guide those who have had little knowledge of their own cultural identity make valuable connections.
This book should be in every school and public library. It gives such insight to all who will read it. I think it would be a wonderful read aloud in middle years classroom to encourage discussion and to promote empathy and awareness.
"Today the powwow is a place where both Indigenous
and non-Indigenous people can come together in peace
and harmony to celebrate tradition - and, for some, a
place where they can be introduced to Indigenous
cultural knowledge."
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