Prior to attending a pow wow, why not take a fun trip to immerse your family in the history and lives of New Jersey’s Native Americans?  Winakung at Waterloo Inc. Lenape Village is just the place. They offer a variety of visits that’ll help the whole family appreciate the pow wow experience all the more! Each session lasts two hours. $6./person.  All children must be accompanied by an adult.  Advance registration required. For more information and reservations, email winakungatwaterloo@gmail.com.)

Lenape, Life in the Woods

This introduction to the life of the Lenape begins with a tour of a  re-created Lenape Village followed by a snack, an introduction to Lenape games, and a craft to take home.  
From Gathering to Gardening
Let the Lenape show your kids the evolution of traditional Lenape food sources, storage, and preparation methods, followed by a sampling of forest foods (dried fruit, nuts, popcorn) and a craft to take home. (They won’t complain about the dinner you’ve prepared for...at least a night! )
Tools and Hunting
Forget light sabers–let your kids learn  how Native American tools and hunting artifacts were made, by whom, and how they were used.  Tools will be available for hands-on experimentation, followed by a snack and a take-home craft.   
Medicine and Mystery
It’s a real-life vision quest! Discover the stories and superstitions of the Lenape and how the spirit world and their own lives were entwined in a magical web of spiritual understanding.  Musical instruments will be on display and available for gentle use and exploration.  The session ends with a snack, an introduction to the Lenape language, Lenape music and a craft.

Next, check out videos from prior pow wows to give your kids a taste of the experience to come.  

Lastly, brush up on your pow wow etiquette:
1.  Respect the special seating reserved for dancers in regalia, elders and those with disabilities.  
2.  Spectators should never enter the circle / dance arena until those times when all spectators are invited. Treat the arena as “holy ground.”
3.  Listen to the Master of Ceremonies.  He will announce who is to dance and when. He will also inform spectators of proper protocol.  Some dances are open to the public.
4.  Do not touch a drum or sit at a drum without permission. Ask permission from the Head singer.
5.  The traditional outfits worn by American Indians are not “costumes;” they are “regalia.”  Regalia is an expression of spirit, and has been prayed over and blessed. Honor it, the person wearing it, and the living history it represents. Do not touch anyone’s regalia without their permission.
6.  Tribal Pow wows are not an outlet for the non-American Indian spectators to “play Indian.” Spectators should NOT be dressed in regalia. This is not a costume party. It is a celebration that respects the ancestors and the ways of American Indian People.

Ready to go?  Good.   So, the central portion of most modern Pow wows is the dance competition.  Four major types of dance typically comprise the competition:

Traditional
In men's traditional dance, a story of bravery, or the story of the hunt is acted out. Men would return from their venture and act out their accomplishments to the villagers. This form of storytelling has been handed down for centuries. With the traditional dance comes responsibility. Each dancer must assemble regalia by traditional means. The dancer must procure eagle feathers as well as animal sinew. Bones and animal skins are also used to assemble the dance regalia. Each item must be obtained in traditional American Indian fashion much like the ancestors did centuries ago. Each of the items must be blessed before using in the regalia because these items are sacred.

Jingle
Listen for musical jingling at a pow wow and you've found the Jingle Dance. Legend says that this women's dance started as a healing dance. Women wearing jingle dresses took sideways steps around a sick person.

Grass
Brightly colored ribbons or yarn fringes drape the Native American Grass Dancer. The Grass Dance originated as a ceremonial dance by the men of northern Plains tribes.  When a Grass Dancer moves, his colorful fringe sways like prairie grass.

Fancy
The brightest and fastest of men's dance styles, the Fancy Dance is the result of trying to entertain visitors at reservations in the early 1920's. The outfit combined the popular bustles of traditional dancers and made them larger, brighter, and more exciting and added feathers, fluffs, and colors wherever they would fit.  Fancy Dancers dance much faster than all other styles--it is full of shaking, ruffling, and blinding footwork.

In addition to Native American dance competitions, pow wows typically offer drumming, singing, exhibits, demonstrations, and  vendors offering Native American crafts, artwork jewelry and food.  Here’s a list of upcoming tri-state area pow wows–make a day of it–it’ll be experience you’re not soon to forget!

Eastern Delaware Nations Pow Wow (Forksville, PA)

 Saturday, June 18th and Sunday, June 19th. For more information, call  Joeann Himmelreich at 570-368-2790.

American Indian Community House First Annual Diabetes Pow Wow (New York, NY)

This celebration includes drumming, singers and dancers.  Sunday, June 26. Noon-7pm. (Grand entrance at noon.) FREE.  For more information, call 212-598-0100 ext: 232.

Hobby Horse Ranch Native American Festival (Fleetwood, PA)

Twenty states are represented in this pow wow. Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4th. 10am-dusk. $5./Adults; $3./Seniors & kids 14 and under; FREE for kids 6 and under. Call 610-944-5797 for more information.  

Sussex County Pow Wow (Augusta, NJ)

Native Americans from tiny tots to adults compete in the Northeastern Pow Wow Championship Series in a variety of dances: traditional, grass, fancy, and jingle.  
Saturday, July 9th, 11am-8pm. July 10th, 11am-7pm.  $12./Adults: $7./Young Adults and Seniors;
FREE  for children 6 years and under. FREE parking. Call 718.686.9297 for more information.

Bear Mountain Pow Wow (Harriman, NY)

Another Northeastern Pow Wow Championship, featuring the four dance types: traditional, grass, fancy and jingle.  Saturday, August 6th and Sunday, August 7th,  11am-7pm. $12./adults;  $7./ young adults and seniors; FREE for Children 6 years and under.  Call 718.686.9297 for more information.

FDR PowWow (Yorktown Heights, NY (Westchester)

Missed the first summer pow wows? Catch up here! Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th.  11am-7pm. $12./adults;  $7./ young adults and seniors; FREE for Children 6 years and under.  Call 718.686.9297 for more information.