The Pow-Wow Etiquette Page

You knew it was coming didn't ya? There are some things you need to know before you head off to a Pow-Wow and potentially offend the participants at the event. Most Pow-Wow's will be tolerant towards visitors should you make a mistake in or around the arena and either the M.C., Arena Director, or an elder will make sure that you know what you did wrong and what you should do to avoid making any other mishaps at a Pow-Wow. Please read the following list carefully and feel free to print this page and take it with you when you attend an Oklahoma Pow-Wow.

1. If you’re not sure about something, don't hesitate to ask someone for guidance. Most of the time people around the arena will be glad to answer your question if you’re sincere about wanting to know the answer. Don't be afraid to ask. I repeat don't be afraid to ask someone for guidance.

2. Do not enter the arbor or arena until told to do so by the M.C. (Master of Ceremonies). There will be a time for social dancing and you will hear the announcement from the M.C. that says something to the effect: "It's intertribal time, everyone dance!" This is your cue to "respectfully" enter the dance arena and have fun dancing to the songs provided by the singers. The arena is considered to be a sacred circle and you should have the utmost respect for it at all times.

3. Please wear some type of footwear while in the arena, bare feet inside the sacred circle could offend some people.

4. Please wear appropriate clothing while in the arena. For women, a dress or pants are the norm but you can wear shorts as long as they aren't "Daisy Dukes". Men need to wear a shirt when entering the arena. Any type of revealing clothes will be considered offensive and you may be asked to leave the arena immediately. Please dress conservatively and you should be fine.

5. Do not bring food or drinks into the arena at any point. You will see the Arena Directors carrying water to the dancers and usually food or a beverage out to the center drum as they are normally bound to the drum for long periods of time and are called upon with short notice to sing. Singers, Dancers, and Arena Directors are the only people allowed to carry these items into the arena.

6. No pets are allowed in the dance arena at any time. Please leave your pets at home.

7. Drugs, alcohol, and weapons are never allowed at a Pow-Wow much less inside the dance arena. If you have any of the following you will either be asked to leave the Pow-Wow grounds immediately or security will take you into custody and you will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

8. During the gourd dancing program, you will see people being honored as others drop money in front of them or someone places a blanket or a shawl on their back. You are not required to give anything during these times, but if you’re feeling generous, you may enter the arena to honor those individuals. Once you place money on the ground; you may stand to the left, right, or behind that individual and dance in place. Never dance between the honoree and the center drum. Placing money down during an honoring usually goes to that honoree, but at times, the honoree will donate their money to the Center Drum. Singers don't make much money at a typical Pow-Wow so what little they receive helps them pay for some food or gas money to get back home.

9. If there is a blanket dance, all of the money donated plus the blanket usually goes to the Center Drum or drums and it gets divided up appropriately. The singers are the heartbeat of any Pow-Wow and without their singing and drumming, there would be no Pow-Wow. When a blanket dance is requested by the M.C., you may enter the arena to donate some money by dropping it on the blanket. Once you have donated some money, you can stay in the arena and dance or you may exit.

10. Raffles are an important way for a Pow-Wow committee to raise money for many things including: paying for head staff positions, concession items, and contest prize money. When you attend a Pow-Wow please anticipate bringing some small bills to spend for raffles, your host organization will be thankful for your support and you might possibly win a very nice item for your effort.

11. During the Grand Entry, it is out of respect that you stand and remove any hats that you might be wearing while the Color Guard dances the United States flag, various State, tribal, and individual flags into the arena. You should normally remain standing until after a prayer has been given or the Color Guard retires the flags by dancing them back out of the arena. The M.C. will let you know when you can be seated. If he or she forgets to remind you to be seated, there is usually some form of social dancing that takes place after the Grand Entry, at that time you may take your seat.

12. The benches that circle the outside of the arena are there for the dancers and dignitaries, not for spectators. If you plan on attending a Pow-Wow please arrange to bring your own folding chairs and make sure that you place them behind the benches, outside the arena. Do not move other people's chairs to make room for your chairs, this will make for very unhappy natives, trust me on this one!

13. You are allowed to take pictures while the Grand Entry is in progress but please do not take any photographs during the Flag Song, during the prayer, or if a dancer drops an Eagle feather. If a dancer drops an Eagle feather a respected elder or a veteran must perform a short ceremony and prayer to pick up the fallen feather, no photographs during this event what-so-ever!

14. Do not take any photographs of a dancer unless you ask their permission first. When a dancer is in the arena they are normally fair game for pictures, but when you see them up close and outside of the arena it is polite to ask for their permission first.

15. Dancers refer to their traditional dress as "regalia" so please don't call them costumes or outfits.

16. Please do not touch any part of a dancer's regalia without first asking for their permission. Some dancers put "medicine" on their regalia and they or their immediate family members are the only people that are allowed to touch their belongings. Other dancers just don't like to be touched period, so ask for permission first if you just absolutely must touch someone's regalia. Be prepared for some dancers to answer with a polite, "No Thanks".

17. Please allow the Head Man and Head Woman Dancers to dance out into the arena before you do. They are responsible for “leading” all dancers when it come’s to social dances.

18. Please refrain from using any form of profanity or vulgar language.

19. Some Native tribes believe that pointing with a finger is disrespectful and to be on the safe side, you should avoid this practice. Most Natives will purse their lips as if they are giving a big kiss while nodding their head in the proper direction.

20. Please do not touch the center drum or any of the other drums that line the outside edges of the arena. Drum groups or singers are very protective of their drums and drum sticks. You are more than welcome to touch or purchase any of the drums that are sold by the merchandise vendors outside of the arena, but please do not beat on these drums while the center drum or any of the side drums are singing as this is very disrespectful.

21. Most drum groups don't mind if you want to stand behind their drum and record their music, but you should ask the lead singer if this is ok with him before you record. Depending on the rules of the Pow-Wow as defined by that Pow-Wow Committee, you might not be allowed to stand behind any of the drums to record. If you’re unsure, ask the Arena Director or the M.C. first. This usually only applies for the side drums that are sitting near the benches. The center drum does not allow you to record out in the center of the arena. You are more than welcome to record any song from where your sitting outside the dance arena but the quality of the songs will normally suffer. There is usually a "Tape Guy" that sells cassette tapes or CD's of Pow-Wow music at his/her booth and you may purchase some fine Pow-Wow music there.

22. Please don't block any of the isles or exits that lead to and from the arena. These isles are there for dancers to enter and exit the arena and some need the extra room as they might be wearing an eagle feather bustle and the tips of those eagle feathers are susceptible to snagging on objects and breaking.

23. If you happen to forget any of these rules while at a Pow-Wow and make a mistake, please consider donating some money, a shawl, a blanket, cigarettes/tobacco, or another symbolic item to the Host Organization or Committee and ask them for forgiveness. They are normally pretty lenient when it comes to these delicate matters but you should make an offer none-the-less. In most cases, the Committee will grant your forgiveness without asking for anything at all as long as you understand what you did wrong and have made the goodwill gesture to correct your mistake.

These are the basic rules you should try to remember when attending a Pow-Wow in Oklahoma or abroad. There are a lot of rules listed here and in different regions of the United States or Canada they might have some variations of these rules or something that isn't even listed here. As I mentioned above, don't be afraid to ask someone if you’re unsure about what you’re supposed to do while enjoying yourself at a Pow-Wow. Most people will be more than happy to help answer your questions. Feel free to print the Pow-Wow Etiquette rules for your convenience.

Copyright Notice: You are more than welcome to "Cut, Copy & Paste" these "Pow-Wow Etiquette" Rules into another website or electronic document, but please create a link to this page or an acknowledgement from this Pow-Wow Oklahoma! website if you choose to do so. You are also welcome to print this page for your convenience.