And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 15:08:55 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Lynne Moss-Sharman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: SIX NATIONS POW-WOW THE DRUMS CALLED ME BACK By VINCENT BALL Brantford Expositor July 26, 1999 Ohsweken -- Jim Caagoonse Mccue spent many years headed in the wrong direction and it wasn't until he heard the sound of the drums that he finally got on the right path. ``I used to dance in powwows when I was a kid but then I put my regalia away,'' Caagoonse Mccue, 44, said. ``I entered a different world. I lost my way and I was addicted to drugs and alcohol.'' Then, one day when he was attending a powwow, he heard the drums and started to cry. ``A young dancer came over, put his arm around me and said `welcome back,''' Caagoonse Mccue recalled. ``The drums called me back.'' He returned to dancing in the powwows seven years ago and has been clean of drugs and alcohol ever since. On Saturday and Sunday, he was one of 356 dancers taking part in Six Nations of the Grand River Champion of Champions PowWow held at Chiefswood Park. He's from the Curve Lake First Nations, north of Peterborough. ``This is part of my healing,'' he said of his return to the powwow. ``This has helped me get a better understanding of who I am. It has helped give me back my identity. ``It's part of making my life one of balance and wellness.'' He participates in powwows just about every weekend and he's not the only one to take up the dance following hard times. Les Harper, 26, of Toronto, began participating in powwows six years ago. ``I used to do drugs and drink alcohol all the time,'' said Harper, who is originally from Saddle Lake, Alberta. ``My family showed me the right way by example but I didn't follow it and they didn't force me. However, he began joining in powwows and put the drugs and alcohol behind him. He too has been clean ever since and feels a lot better for it. ``It's the best feeling I've ever had,'' Harper said of his dancing. ``I don't know how to describe it. I don't really have a word for it.'' Dancers also spend a great deal of time putting together their regalia, and on the weekend, many of the participants including Caagoonse Mccue were kept busy posing for pictures with tourists. The regalia often includes Eagle feathers, intricate bead work, leather fringes, claws and fur. Each dancer creates his own outfit with the aim of saying something about their lives, Harper said. The Six Nations powwow is a huge event that attracts participants from across North America. This was the 20th anniversary of the powwow which usually attracts 10,000 to 15,000 people. Charlene Bomberry, a member of the organizing committee, remembers how it began. ``There was a group of us from the Six Nations who were always going to powwows,'' Bomberry said. ``We thought, why not hold one here at the Six Nations.'' Organizers work throughout the year to ensure the event runs smoothly. ``Everybody pretty much knows what needs to be done and it just gets done,'' Bomberry said, adding that people who provide supplies for the event already know what's needed each year. Dancers compete in several categories depending on their age and gender with the youngest competitors being tots of five years to the golden age competitors who are 50 and older. The dancers are also competing for a share of $35,000 worth of prize money. But while the dancers with their colourful regalia are the focus of most of the attention, the event also attracted more than 100 people selling native crafts including necklaces, clothing and jewelry. There was also plenty of food available such as buffalo burgers, Indian tacos, corn soup and fried bread. "Let Us Consider The Human Brain As A Very Complex Photographic Plate" 1957 G.H. Estabrooks www.angelfire.com/mn/mcap/bc.html FOR K A R E N #01182 who died fighting 4/23/99 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.aches-mc.org 807-622-5407