Oh man, this was another awesome night! One of the Rehoboth staff members has a brother who competes as a professional Pow-Wow Dancer and a husband who accompanies him with native chants, drum and flute playing. They met us in the school's choir room for a private demonstration. This presentation was phenomenal! These men are Christians, so they made it clear that their music and dance was not sacred or ceremonial, it was just for fun and education.
Alvin, the dancer, demonstrated three common native dances for us. I liked his Grass Stomping Dance, Dave liked his Prairie Chicken Dance. In between the dances, we were treated to just music, including a beautiful version of "Amazing Grace" on the flute, and the telling of old native stories.
Our performers were delighted to take our questions. They gave us an up-close look at his incredible performing costume (all that beadwork is done by hand by members of his family, and on his head are porcupine quills!). And they happily posed for a picture. We were really blessed by the enthusiasm with which this duo shared their art. Over and over this week we saw and appreciated the beauty of this culture!
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