Powwows And The People Who Attend Them

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Tome Roubideaux Sioux 2016

The folks who attend powwows are a unique assortment of people. Not unique like the parking lot of a Wal-Mart but unique like a group of like-minded souls that are interested in the varied life around them in a way that many others aren’t.

On one hand you have the participants who attend these gatherings as a way to maintain the deepest contact with their culture and to celebrate their beliefs with others in a way that brings them closer together as a people. This grounds them and roots them in a connection to their culture that is difficult to get any other way. They are reaffirmed in their beliefs by the fellowship of those that have shared their life experiences, both good and bad, together. They are a family, a collective village, a group of people that can trace their beginnings back to the far distant past and celebrate them as if time didn’t matter.

Many of the participants, most in fact, who dance and take part in the various ceremonies dress in the regalia that represents their tribal affiliations and they are as distinctive and varied as the tribes and individuals within them. But for some a favorite blanket thrown across their shoulders, or a t-shirt with the faded logos of powwows of the past are enough, and they enter the circle and dance with the same fervor and beliefs as the most spectacularly dressed member there. The dress doesn’t matter, they are one.

Then there are the spectators, those who attend for many different reasons. Some are dedicated followers of the Powwow Trail and attend every one they can. They might be family members or close friends who come to support the dancers, singers and drummers. Or others who are trying to see and understand this wonderful culture in a way you can’t by reading about it. Some just come for the pageantry and to see something different. They enjoy the spectacle aspect of the gathering without delving too deeply into the culture, curious to see a lifestyle that is so different from their own, yet one that is embedded into the fabric and mainstream of our national culture. Once the powwow is over and everyone is back in their street clothes the extraordinary focus brought on tribal culture is gone, everyone, participants and spectators alike, look and act the same. We’re all back in the here and now to being everyday Americans.

Until the next powwow that is. Then the tribal culture explodes again with all the intensity and color and sound and whirlwind of activity that it has. As it has been doing for as long as the tribal cultures have existed. It is remarkable that with all the technological advancements we have made that one can attend a powwow and see into the past. The dances tell their stories, the regalia tells who the individual is, the ceremonies bind the people together again, and the circle is completed one more time.

This is a dynamic culture. It is not static. The people move forward with the time, incorporating anything new that enhances their culture, even while maintaining their direct vision of themselves as distinct members of society with a rich culture rooted deeply in our past. There is a lot going on within one of these celebrations. Attend one if you can.

He Who Watches

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16th Annual Indian Market and Powwow at  The Fort Restaurant

This past weekend, May 14th and 15th, was the 16th Annual Indian Market and Powwow held at the Fort restaurant in Morrison Colorado. It was an incredible affair with Indian vendors showing off amazing art and jewelry, members of various tribes participating in the accompanying powwow and re-enactors dressed as people of the late 1800’s telling stories of times long past. There were informational exhibits that portrayed life in the 1800’s and various Raptors were on display as well. The fact that the setting included the extraordinary Red Rocks that made this area famous as a backdrop just made a good thing better. All in all an exciting event and a great time was had by all.

Jeremy is one of the re-enactors and greeted those arriving through the main entrance in a welcoming but stoic manner. Mountain men tended to be somewhat taciturn when amongst town folk anyway. They were more comfortable in the high country, but like you and I, came to town occasionally to see the sights. Costumes of the period were extremely well done as were the regalia worn by the powwow participants.  This is an extremely interesting gathering and the atmosphere and architecture of The Fort Restaurant is more than worth the trip itself. Especially if you get to order one their Buffalo Burgers.

Over the next few weeks we will be bringing you more images of the Powwow and other events from the Tesoro Indian Market and Powwow featuring Powwow participants from the various tribes that attended and other events that took place. Over 50 tribes were represented plus drum groups and singers to round out the festivities, so there was plenty to see, hear and enjoy.

If you get a chance to attend this event make sure you do, you don’t want to miss experiencing this spectacular event held at the Fort Restaurant. Even if the Indian Market is not happening treat yourself to a wonderful meal. It’s worth the trip.

2016 NCIPA Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association

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On April 16th and 17th The Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association or NCIPA held their annual pow wow in Ft. Collins, Colorado. It was a large event filling three basketball courts and was attended by participants and visitors alike. There was dancing and competitions with the participants dressed in many styles of regalia as each participant made their style their own..

The two-day event brought out the best in the dancers, singers and drummers and everyone was moved by the various ceremonies that were performed. In the next few weeks we will be bringing you a selection of photos that showcase this wonderful event.

This participant was gracious enough to be photographed and he displays the quality of the dress and accessories that were a large part of this years celebration. This gathering was held indoors as there was a large snowstorm that kept everybody inside. That didn’t stop the festivities however and the dancing and singing went on deep into the evening. If you get a chance to attend a pow wow in your area don’t miss it. You’ll be amazed by the amount of history and culture on display. Stayed tuned for more images from the Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow Wow Association’s event from Ft. Collins, Colorado.

Crow Camp – Nearest The Fire

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Walking through the Crow camp on a moonless night, watching your footing as your eyes are having difficulty adjusting to the darkness, you find yourself entering and leaving one oasis of light after another. Flashlights help but do little to overcome the inky blackness between one set of lodges and another.

The lodges have been set up in a random fashion in rows and groups generally following the banks of the Little Bighorn river as it winds its way from Custer’s battlefield down to the town of Crow Agency. It is one of those places where you have to know where you are before you can get where you’re going. It is very easy to get turned around in the labyrinth that is Crow camp, especially at night. The people living here know where they are. Little kids are out running around, darting like lightning bugs into one campsite after another and back home again as if they had built-in direction finders, which you suspect they do.

The sound of the camp varies from very noisy where one group may be playing the drum and singing, to quieter areas where small groups of the people are sitting around the fire, talking, laughing, enjoying each others company, and on to the stillness of the darkness when you leave the campsites.

Each of these places is a small area where the only light is from the fire and the occasional lantern. These islands of brightness scattered in the sea of blackness are welcoming, making you wish you could enter and sit and be a part of the festivities. Then you’d be home and wouldn’t have to walk and walk until you found your way back to your car and your own temporary home.

At every fireside there is one lodge that is nearest the fire. The flickering light from the burning logs changes the dull white of the lodge, covering it in a wavering, shimmering shade of gold. The lodge poles are highlighted against the darkness, the faint green of the surrounding trees barely visible in the background, the surrounding teepees just catching enough light to show you they are there.

The experience of being in the Crow Camp is one that has many layers, some loud and boisterous, others quieter and filled with subtle visions and sounds. The contrast of night and day is filled with excitement and wonder for someone new to the experience. Perhaps next time you can sit with the people in front of the lodge nearest the fire. What a memory that would be.

Hang Time

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Rodeo Facts

“Hang Time” or “When Bulls Fly” is a term used to describe that moment when the bull leaves the earth and ‘hangs’ or ‘flies’ in the air. All four of his hooves must be off the ground with the lowest hoof no closer than 12″ from the arena floor to qualify. This maneuver is usually done after the bull dislodges his rider, but not always, and is generally celebratory in nature. This movement or procedure is almost always reserved for the actual event of bull riding but there have been reported sightings of bulls performing this activity in the privacy of their own pastures.

It is also a tactic used to confuse and disorient his rider who expects at least one of the bulls feet to be attached to the ground at all times. When the bull fully detaches himself from the earth it causes momentary spatial confusion much like the weightlessness that astronauts experience, except while on the back of a two thousand pound bull, and leads to the rider getting all over wonky of a moment and falling off. This is what the bulls wants, as it gives the bull the opportunity to step all over him and maybe even poke him some with its horns. Plus it apparently just feels good to the bull to be free of his usually earthly constraints.

It is also a maneuver that the bull can be judged on thereby earning points for himself. Points are good as the more points the bull accumulates, the more ring time it gets, and the more prestige and financial gain it acquires. The length of the hang time is the largest single factor in the scoring although height and distance play a part also. The longest hang time ever recorded was on a bull named Little Chicken and was 8.37 seconds in duration. That’s right, as unbelievable as it sounds the bull hung up there about 3½ feet off the arena floor for the entire time of the ride which you know is 8 seconds. His rider, an Italian cowboy named Pauli “Little Patty” Concertina, from Newark N.J., was so confused and disoriented that he thought he heard his bell being rung around the 6 second mark and simply jumped off thinking he had made a perfect ride. Well he didn’t of course, he totally screwed up which was the bulls plan all along, and left the arena and the rodeo grounds to the jeers from the ‘regular’ cowboys, feeling like a total Easterner. The fans still laugh about it while he still thinks to this day that he made a perfect ride and was robbed of his score.

Aside from the tactics and the scoring and the general chaos that surrounds the bull riding event there is something spellbinding about seeing a 2000 lb. bull floating effortlessly in the air. It is a symphony of motion and drama that is amazing to watch. You are mesmerized by the slow motion aspect of the suspended bull and then suddenly it returns to earth with incredible force, smashing back onto the arena floor with a sound like a freight train crashing. Dust flies, riders fly, rodeo clowns yell, spectators suddenly scream in appreciation and then it is over. Until next time. If you need some excitement in your life come to the rodeo and watch when the “Bulls Fly”. You’ll never forget it.

Notice! Important Rodeo News Announcement

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For Immediate Release:

No NDA; Full Dispersement All TV, Radio and Print

© The Institute Public Relations Department

New Breed of Rodeo Bull available immediately

The Institute announced today the release of a new breed of bull to be used in all general rodeos both public and private. A member of the Sanga species of cattle, the Ankole-Watusi or Ankole Longhorn is a 1200-1600 lb. animal with rather remarkable horns that grow to 8′ in width and have been measured at 12′ across from tip to tip in the truly larger specimens.

We see them as particularly interesting in events such as Steer roping, Steer Wrestling, Bull riding, kiddie rodeos etc. We do not recommend them for petting zoos, carnivals or arcades that feature cows doing tricks, or as a replacement for oxen, carabao, or other domesticated breeds of working cattle. Due to their unpredictable tendencies towards mayhem and property damage we do not sell, rent or lend them to private citizens or countries hostile to the interests of the U.S.

They are trail-able in open top trailers with four or more axles. They do not respond well to cattle prods but can be managed with portable Arc welders set on high. Tig welders work best rather than the spool fed Mig welder as you can more easily drop the Tig welder assembly and run away when necessary, where as many Cowhands have become tangled in the wire feeder spool of the Tig welder and been tripped up letting the irritated bull “Catch” them and stomp off their legs.

Imagine the excitement of watching the “Big Loop” ropers as they spin the big hoop to catch one of these fast-moving bullet train bulls. Or the size of the biceps, not to mention the Juevos, on those heavy duty Steer wrestlers as they try to bring down one of these bad boys. Bull riders will be “backing up” when they draw one of these huge fellows. Think Mike Tyson when they draw one of these guys and hopefully getting an ear bit off will be the least of their problems. They’ll probably need an ear bit off just to get on one of these. These are not just your typical African cows. As you may have already imagined, being a product of The Institute, we have genetically modified these bulls to behave just a little more aggressively and be a tad more murderous and quicker to become miffed at any one who tries to ride them.

These new “Rodeo Ready™ bulls are only available from The Institute and can be rented by the hour, day or season (with acceptable credit) from our Rodeo-Ready™ Supply store here at The Institute’s Rodeo Training™ and Physical Therapy department. Note: Due to liability issues we can not rent out more that 150 bulls to any one customer. Please contact Clarence “one Eye” McThompson in our prosthetics and Ass-Sling department for more details.

End of Press Release. All news outlets run as many times as possible. See below for further information on these great new Rodeo Bulls.

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These animals were usually owned by African Royalty and were called the “Cattle of Kings” and the Inyambo, “the cows with long, long horns.” As this breed is also known for its ferocious, aggressive tendencies and a unabiding hatred of humans, and a desire and an ability to mash much of the royalty that owned them to a thin paste under their hooves, plus their inability to get along generally, they are considered extinct in many parts of Africa today. This bull is an adaptation of a much older African species of bovine mutilators used by many tribes to decimate, or at least wipe out, their enemies by sending elven or twelve of them into their neighbors Enkang (village) to wreak havoc on their Bombas (homes) by first leveling the village then eating the materials used to build their huts. Thereby leaving their enemies homeless, penniless and dung ridden and easy to subdue.

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This close up of bull no. 8811 or “Little Bill” as he’s known around the bull pen, shows one of the new characteristics of our genetic meddling with their DNA. Look closely at the rings circling their horns and you will see that there are darker and lighter rings circling them. Each of those rings are a permanent encoded marker, or record, of their victories in the arena. The darker rings signify the number of cowboys or anyone else goofy enough to get too close to them that indicates the contest resulted in a successful fatality. The lighter rings show that a permanent maiming took place rather than a fatality. This is a handy way to easily see the bulls level of meanness which is helpful if you want to bail when you’ve seen you’ve drawn one of these to ride. Given the patented lighter/darker formula of indicating the outcome of individual contests the completely dark areas at the ends of Little Bills horns show that he was one of the original dozen bulls sent into a village and the fatalities were too high to count. This resulted in the blackout at the end of his horns. Don’t mess with Little Bill if you don’t have to.

Let us know if we can help you with your stock needs at any of your official, private, or backyard rodeos and we’ll be happy to send you one sample bull to try out. If you think he meets your needs we’ll be glad to work out a rental program to suit your requirements. Rodeo season is just around the corner and as the fatality record goes up these bulls will be hard to find. Reserve your stock now while we’re making deals. Otherwise expect to pay top dollar when all your regular bulls wimp out during the height of the season. Please direct all correspondence to The Director at the Institute.

That Third Barrel – Blackfeet NAID Rodeo Barrel Racing

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One of the more interesting competitions in a rodeo is the barrel racing. This is especially true at the annual Blackfeet rodeo during their NAID (North American Indian Days) get together. This is an event where the women participants shine. It takes skill, a good mount, a little bit of luck and a willing motivated rider and horse to win.

The horse and rider need to be as one to excel at this event as it takes a special communication between them to run this simple appearing course without causing any errors. Errors result in penalties, and a penalty adds time to their final result. Lowest time for completing the course wins. This is a chance to see perfection in both the efforts of the horse and the skill of the rider.

The course is laid out with the barrels placed at the three points of a triangle, with the base of triangle being the entry point. The rider enters and heads for barrel number one which is at the right point of the triangle base as she enters and crosses the starting line. She circles it and heads for barrel number two which is at the left of the triangle. She circles that one and heads for barrel number three which is at the point of the triangle farthest away from the entry point. This is where things get really interesting not to mention exciting. If the rider has had a successful ride to this point, which means she has circled the first two barrels without knocking any of them over causing her a penalty, she must circle this last barrel as fast as she and her mount can get around it, always being careful not to knock it over, then she and her horse must accelerate out of the turn and race like the very wind to the finish line.

Watching them come out of that last turn with the horse leaning into the corner nearly parallel with the ground and the rider leaning over her horse’s neck encouraging her mount to put everything it has into the race over the long straight away to the finish line, is about as exciting for participants and onlookers as it gets.

Here are a few images of riders and their mounts at various points during the event. These have been chosen primarily to show the form of both the rider and her horse. The skill of the horse in making these tight turns and the skill of the riders in guiding it through the event.

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Rider coming into Barrel one. Tight turn, get close but miss the barrel.

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Bad luck. This rider knocked over the barrel so seconds are added to her score. It is hard to recover from a penalty as far as getting a winning score. But everyone who completes a run is a winner. They just may not be in first place.

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A young rider and her horse coming out of barrel number two. This event is open to all ages, and they start young here in Blackfeet land.

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A rider and her mount coming ‘hot’ into the last and final barrel, barrel three. Have to hit it hard to get ready for the final run to the finish line.

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Ploughing hard into barrel three. Horse is skidding hard to make the turn. The rider is focusing on the finish line.

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Riding like the wind. Manes on both horse and rider flying as they rush into the turn. This is poetry in motion. If you love a beautiful horse and seeing the skill of its rider as both perform to their utmost, then this is an event for you.

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” I know you don’t want to hear this but I’ve got the best time in this event. That means that my rider and I win. That means extra hay, and OATS. And rubbed down every night for a week. And I get loaded in the trailer first. Every time we go somewhere. What was your time? Oh I’m sorry, is this bruise from hitting that barrel in turn one? Did I mention that we are the winners?”

Some winners are a little less gracious than they could be, but after all winning is a big deal to the horse so you might forgive a little gloating. Especially if the one you’re gloating over won last week. This is a fun event and exciting to watch and even more so if you have a beer bet on your favorite rider and horse partners.

Cowboy’s Monday Morning – Bull’s Saturday Night

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Last year at The Blackfeet’s annual North American Indian Days or NAID we had a chance to observe this interesting phenomenon during their rodeo. It was a short little presentation of how the cowboy’s and the bulls get along. If you had any thoughts that bull riding was like professional wrestling you might think again as both the cowboy and the bull would try and convince you otherwise.

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The title of today’s post is Cowboy’s Monday Morning – Bull’s Saturday night. The cowboy is having a Monday morning due to the fact that for whatever reason he neglected to hold on very tightly to the Bull rope, his lifeline and anchor point to remain seated firmly on the bull’s back, and to maintain the proper posture required to look good to impress any ladies watching. This lack of attention on his part meant he would soon be leaving the safety and comfort of his seat on the bulls back.

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The bull being very, very sensitive to the rider on his back has been waiting impatiently for this slight error to occur. When it does that is the beginning of the Bull’s Saturday night as things begin to become very entertaining for the bull. There will dancing and singing and prancing in the street as the bull capitalizes on the cowboys lack of attention.

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As the bull causes the separation of the cowboy from his back he just glances back slightly to make any corrections in his form and to check that the cowboy will land in the spot where he can bring his hindquarters squarely down on the cowboys chest. This is called “stomping the cowboy silly” in rodeo parlance. The bull enjoys this part very much.

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As the cowboy lands perfectly and shows the proper amount of discomfort the bull raises his hindquarters for a perfect two point landing on the cowboys chest. This is called scoring and usually gets the bull big points. The cowboy not so much. His score is rapidly going down the tubes right now.

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Here we see the bull performing his trademark happy dance, similar to when a football player scores a touchdown. He is very pleased at this point. The cowboy isn’t as thrilled with how things turned out and is actively thinking that the job down at the Post Office doesn’t sound too bad at the moment.

This is just one little story of the constant battle between man and beast and rodeos and photographers and Blackfeet bull riders and rides to the ER and extra hay for the bull and all things rodeo. This time things went in favor of the beast. Next time Man might prevail. It’s up to you to decide who you want to vote for. In this particular battle the odds are slightly in favor of the bull. But every once in a while the cowboy wins. That’s nice too. How’s your Monday morning going. If it is better than the cowboys, well hell, go get yourself another cup of coffee. You deserve it.

Horse Spinning

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We don’t normally repost images here on BigShotsNow but some information that has surfaced and been made public require our clarifying facts regarding this picture. This shot was originally posted on 2015-09-02 and referred to events taking place at the Crow Fair rodeo. http://www.bigshotsnow.com/crow-fair-2015-rodeo/

Originally there was a comment attached to this photo referring to an unusual way to dismount a bucking horse when one tired of riding it. We have to tender an apology as we were mistaken in providing that information. This is not what is happening at all.

What is happening in the image is not a regular or common shot of a cowboy falling off his horse, but is in fact a horse and rider participating in one of the newest and most spectacular events on the rodeo circuit. That event is Horse Spinning. Many of you who attend rodeo events regularly, have known about this event for sometime but have been remiss in sharing this information, (I’m looking at you, Eddie) so we misreported a very important event when it should have received worldwide attention due to its uniqueness.

It is a simple appearing event but that is totally misleading as this event brings into play every skill that the horse and rider possesses. What you see in the image above is the rider entering into position so the horse, who is just stepping into the first part of the circle, can complete a rotation. The horse has to have complete control of its bucking ability as it needs to know exactly how and when to ‘Unload” the cowboy while maintaining enough speed to keep its revolutions up, and the cowboy has to have dexterity and strength and an ability to overcome dizziness similar to what astronauts are tested for, to keep the horse totally focused on “getting his rev’s in”. Where the cowboy places his foot on the side of the horses body allows him to be the pivot man and determines how much strength he needs to have, to pull the horse around him in a 360° circle. The amount of bucking the horse does in his circuitous route around the cowboy and the cowboys ability to remain properly suspended in the proper position while spinning around with his horse, will give him a point rating for the event.

One to three rotations of the pair will give the team a score of two to four depending on how stable the cowboy looked while competing and how the judges viewed their performance. Turning in a performance of eleven rotations or more within the eight seconds allowed for the event will send the team to the National hands down. This team was only able to get one and a half revolutions in the eight seconds and were  ultimately disqualified due to the cowboy letting his left foot leave the horse’s side. His foot must be firmly stuck to the horse’s side throughout the event. One of the rules applied to this competition event is that once airborne, the cowboy’s foot can not leave the horse’s side or use his foot to hook into the stirrup or the team will be disqualified and given no score. That’s what happened here. Tough luck for this team.

It was a bitter disappointment for the team as they were thought to be one of the frontrunners in this event and destined to bring this event to a much broader audience by attending the Nationals. But this is rodeo. One day you win, another you don’t. There’s always the next time when fortunes can change in a heartbeat, or a rotation in this case. Be sure to watch for this event in upcoming rodeos. This will be a showstopper right up there with bull riding. For more information on this event and how to enter contact The Director at The Institute and we’ll send you to the proper people to talk to.