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Show Thursday, July B Ufte Row Wow DumHdshius The dancer is complete in costume from head to toe, showing that he is a complete person. He dsnces to the beat of the drums at all times, for if he misses a beat it means that he doesnt know the song, which has a special meaning to it. If a part of his costume comes off while he is dancing, he must go through a special ceremony to renin the piece, which is a part of his life. Indian dances are a very old way of life dam) and still a large part of the new life for the Ute Indian Tribe. Their annual Pow features old and new Wow, July dandng, yet the celebration itself is only in it's 17the year, said Clifford Duncan, who manages the tribes museum at Bottle Hollow, The word "Pow Wow" is a word given by the white people to describe one of our celebrations, he said. Each tribe has a different kind of gathering. We use 6--8, wntilh) MeinitiStty the Pow Wow for our dances. Hie tribes """! Pow Wow involving other tribee, was established to get Ute members involved in social activities, said Duncan. The majority of Indians (at the tribe) never went off the reservation to see other Pow Wows and participate in the dances. So we brought the celebration here. and both young and old members take it very seriously. "It was a way of life in the past and its been with the people since, he said. The dancers must dance without losing their identitites. If a piece of the dancers costums fells off, it also defines carelessness, said Duncan. We figure if you take care of your costume, it also means you can take care of your Ufa. Each piece of the coetume is symbol of the dancers life, said Duncan, with the eagle feather being on the center of "prossfam. A new addition to the annual Pdw Wow is the large money prizes for dance conaeet winners. This years prize money totals $18,000, not including the drum contest prize of $2,800. In individual iImhi contests, the Mens Traditional winner will receive $1,200, the Mens Fancy will get $1,000 and the Ladys Traditional will receive $800 and the Ladys Fancy will receive $600. Second, Third and fourth place winners also receive money prizes not lower than $100. This is a new thing, Duncan said. "Before, people dancedjust because it a way of life. The majority of dancers in the tribe still do not enter contests, but dance just as a way of life, was he Three Indian women dress In costume for.sn upcoming dance (Left) May Jack, Katy KcKewan and Stella Starr. added. The dance contest entrees are the ones who take the opportunity to participate in the social gathering and to show their dances to others. The participants can choose from the four money prize dances or other Pow Wow dances, depending on their age, and sex. The adult traditional dancea are the old" style of dancing in which dancers must keep time to the drum without making any fancy moves. The Womens Traditional features dances who wear buckskin dresses, as they dance in a single spot or area. In the Mens Traditional, the dancers wear one or no . bustles. The Fancy Dancers are free to improvise as long as they keep time with the drum. The women wear doth dresses covered by long fringed shawls and the men wear feathered outfits in every color. The dance, a very athletic, contemporary style of expression, was developed from the old war dances. Each tribe had different dancea, but the basic steps are the same, said Duncan. The children also participate with the Tots contests for anyone younger. Then there is the four to six year-ol-d group, the seven to eleven years and the twelve to sixteen or division. Each group eighteen year-ol- d also has a boys and girls division. The Pow Wow has had more chuarou participating than ever before, said Duncan. Tbs majority of children it seriously, especially the elementary children. Although as a child, the dancwr is not three-year-ol- quite mature, he is expected to present himself as a complete person, said Duncan. Childhood for the Indian is seen in four different levels and the dancer must be mature in whatever level he is in, according to his age. The drummer is as much a complete person as any of the dancers in the Pow Wow, Duncan said. The job of the drum group is equal to that of the dancers. Continued bn page 7 The STANDARD . encourages everyone to attend the 16th annual Northern Ute Pow Wow and Rodeo. This Thursday through Sunday And we wish the Ute Pow Wow and Rodeo much subcess |