Posted on Tue, May. 14, 2002 COLUMNIST DORREEN YELLOW BIRD: The right to keep women from a drum
There is a controversy smoldering in Indian country about whether or not women should be allowed to sit at the drum and sing at a powwow. It is a complex issue, and throughout my years in Indian country, I have been on both sides. Yet after talking with elders and some traditional friends, I believe the cultural traditions should rule. That said, I also must add that in Indian country, where many nations and traditions mix in the same pot, nothing is simple or clear-cut. In the most recent confrontation, the Sweetgrass Road Drum Group of Winnipeg has filed a lawsuit that challenges the powwow's ban on female drum groups. The Ojibwe women's group intended to drum at the University of St. Thomas powwow in St. Paul. But the master of ceremonies - Jim Clairmont, a Lakota from Rosebud, S.D. - disallowed their group. This seems to point out Ojibwe and Lakota conflicting traditions. I sympathize with the young Ojibwe women of the Sweetgrass Road Drum Group of Winnipeg. These women are not the first women's drum group to enter this mostly male domain, but they are the latest and probably the first to file a lawsuit. And my support of Clairmont's position about the women drummers clearly puts me at odds with some on the Herald's editorial board. The gender equality issue, of course, is their main point. They point to the horrific act of female circumcision in some African countries that is called tradition. In Moslem countries, the treatment of women is abusive and that is part of a tradition, too, they argue. But I see disallowing women drummers in a university powwow hardly on the same level as female circumcision or physical and mental abuse. When I look back over the last four or five decades, I do see tremendous changes. Women didn't go into the Catholic Church without a scarf or something covering their heads years ago; today, people not only don't cover their heads, they often dress in shorts and T-shirts. I remember, as well, that my grandmother would never consider wearing pants. Today, it is more common to see women in jeans than dresses. Many Protestant churches, at one time, didn't allow women to be pastors. Today, it is common to see women in that role. So traditions change. In this age where the media cameras peer right into the living rooms and boardrooms of the world, it is going to be hard to keep the traditions and the culture in Indian country intact. So in this era of eroding traditions and loss of language, it is necessary and important to follow the traditions. It is important to remember that we are talking about many different nations who come together in what John Eagle Shield termed commercial powwows. (Eagle Shield is a Lakota from Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota.) In those powwows, it might be okay for women to drum. Women, he said, can do anything they want to, but traditionally they never had drums of their own. Furthermore, this singer, drummer and dancer said that when the women stand beside or behind the drummers to sing, the drummers can feel the power that the women lend them. In some of the songs, the women have solo parts. Women are powerful, he said. Years ago, Eagle Shield said, when he was a dancer, there was a group of women drummers who came to a powwow in South Dakota. Nobody said they couldn't drum, but he did feel embarrassed for them when it was their turn to do an all nations song and no one danced, he said. For the Dakota, the rules are even more pronounced. Winona Fox, a traditional Dakota woman, said they don't touch the drum. Her husband, Laidman Fox, is a traditional drum maker. He is in a wheelchair, but when his drum materials need to be moved, she always calls on her sons to move them. Some tribes have different traditions and some have even bent and twisted the rules. But the Dakota are very strict with these traditions, she said. A Dakota spiritual man from Sisseton, S.D., said the drum was given to men a long time ago because the Creator made men the protectors. He said at those university powwows or wherever they are held, the people need to be respectful of each other. It is important, he said, because there are so many nations at the powwows now that one tribe might allow women drummers and another may not. Whoever has the right to decide, should make sure that the people should respect that decision. There doesn't seem to be a groundswell of women who are clamoring to sit at a drum in this area. So at this time, in this era, I say the decision needs to be made in favor of the people. If a particular tribe doesn't want women at a drum, we should be respectful of that tribe's decision. It is their powwow celebration and their way. Yellow Bird writes columns. Reach her at 780-1228, (800) 477-6572 ext. 228 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] � 2001 grandforksherald and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.grandforks.com -- Andr� Cramblit: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Operations Director Northern California Indian Development Council NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org) is a non-profit that meets the development needs of American Indians and operates an art gallery featuring the art of California tribes (http://www.americanindianonline.com) Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Sign the Petition. http://petitiononline.com/Release/petition.html ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1ddNB.b2HgmN Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
