A taste of the First Nations

Former IU professor John Johnson lost his brother last year and, in accordance with Cherokee custom, hasn’t been allowed to dance since — until last night. Johnson danced around a drum in the center of the room and was later joined by his friends from the American Indian community.

“I missed it,” Johnson said. “I miss my brother, too. It wasn’t as easy at I thought it would be. He was younger than me. We don’t get to make those choices.”

The First Nations Educational and Culture Center had its second annual Community Night on Thursday at Bridgewaters Lounge in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

“We’re a culture center here to support, recruit and retain American Indian students at IU,” FNECC Director Brian Gilley said.

Those who danced around the drum had been preparing for the night for a year. Many of them made their own regalia. Before the event started, Gilley finished sewing small colored beads on a pair of moccasins. Each week, the FNECC has craft night, during which people work on various projects.

“They get to show things off, try things out,” Gilley said.

Mary Connors, program assistant at FNECC, made her outfit and one for Bloomington resident Heather Staggs’ daughter. Conner said the girl is from the Pacific Northwest.
“I made designs of that tradition,” Connors said.

Staggs said her family is descended from the Puyallup tribe. Her family left the reservation in Washington when she was three. She got involved with the FNECC when she came to a pow-wow last November.

“It was awesome to finally connect to our heritage,” she said. “They’ve been really welcoming to us. We have found a way to re-immerse ourselves, and it’s something I hope to continue as long as it’s available.”

Connors was wearing a blue Cherokee tear dress, a modified European dress. 

“I’ve always been interested,” Connors said. “There’s so much to learn. I think education is important.”

Julia Conley, telecommunications engineer for University Information Technology Services, said she travels all year to different pow-wows around the country. Conley also makes traditional regalia out of buckskin.

“It keeps me really busy. It’s a ceremonial thing for us and a time for prayer,” Conley said. “I’ve been exposed to the culture since I was seven.”

Johnson spoke of some of the symbolic nature of his clothing. He had beadings of a spider and beetle on his clothes. He said there are stories behind these in which the spider brings fire and the beetle created land.

Before the event began, Gilley burned sage, filling the room with smoke. Connors said it is used for purification.

The night officially started with a prayer song followed by refreshments.

The dancers moved in a circle around the drum. At one point, the drummers, from the Miami Nation of Indiana, had a contest to see which man could hold a note the longest. There was also a song honoring veterans of war.

The dancing men and women carried feather fans, and the women also
carried shawls.

Gilley said these traditions are both practical and symbolic. He said there is more of an “unspoken importance” to them.

Freshman Megan Harsh attended the event after learning about American Indian pow-wows in one of her classes.

“I think the culture is really cool,” Harsh said. “I’m an anthropology major, so I’m interested in other cultures.”

Senior Sara Potter will be student-teaching on a Navajo reservation this fall.

“We studied a little about the Navajo culture, but I don’t really know what to expect,” Potter said. “It’s really interesting to see the values the Navajo people have compared to (other) Americans. My favorite thing is that they’re very community oriented.”