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Pow-Wow Oklahoma! Interviews
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Subject: George Alexander
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Occupation: UPS Truck Driver / Southern Style Fancy Dancer
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Tribe: Otoe-Missouria
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Interview Date: August 28, 2009
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Interview Time: 8:00 p.m.
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Pow-Wow Oklahoma! Interviews George Alexander, A well known Oklahoma Southern Style Fancy Dancer from Ponca City Oklahoma.
This article as posted in its entirety is Copyrighted by Pow-Wow Oklahoma! and it’s Site Administrator, Mycol Wahnee. If you wish to repost this article, you must place a link back to this Article URL. You are not allowed to modify this article in any fashion.
For this month’s Pow-Wow Oklahoma! interview, I would like to focus on a long time friend of mine, George Alexander. He is a very well known Southern Style Fancy Dancer that calls Ponca City, Oklahoma his home. George is my Otoe brother but this isn’t going to be a lounge session, I’m going to ask him some serious questions. There are many Oklahoma Pow-Wow people that only see one side of George Alexander and this interview is a great opportunity for him to open up and share more of his life with the PWOK Readers. And away we go!
MW: Mycol Wahnee
GA: George Alexander
MW: Thank you for allowing me to throw you under the bus, I mean in the spotlight for this Pow-Wow Oklahoma! Interview George. I appreciate your time and effort. Just to establish a rudimentary timeline, we have been good friends since the late 1980’s, would you agree?
GA: Aho my brother. Yes, looking back it doesn't seem to be that long ago, but now that it's 2009, yeah, we could definitely tell some wickedly funny stories about each other. Our travels took us to many places and some places we didn't mean to be at. But I do remember traveling around to powwows, with my mom and grandparents in the late 1980's, and I remember seeing you dancing grass at several powwows. The only ones I remember seeing dancing grass at that time were you, Dennis Nevaquaya, Jr. Todome, and Redcloud Anquoe. You all were the "first" in Oklahoma.
MW: Thanks for the compliment George. Let's start off easy with some questions about yourself so the PWOK viewership can get better acquainted with you. You call Ponca City home, how long have you been living there?
GA: I was born and raised here in Ponca and have lived here all my life. I'm a proud Otoe-Missouria Tribal member and have enjoyed living here in Northern Oklahoma with the surrounding tribes; the Poncas, Pawnees, Kaws, Osages, and Tonkawas. Not to mention all the other tribes that reside around here (you know who you are). After graduating from Ponca City, I then went on to further my education at Oklahoma State University to pursue a degree in Drafting & Design. After two years of a very demanding course schedule and a two semester "hell" class in metallurgy, I transferred to Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. At N.O.C., I finished up my basics, which I should have done in the first place. Ultimately, I finished up with an Associates in Design & Engineering. During my time at OSU, it was then I was just starting to get bit by the "Pow-Wow Circuit" bug. Plus that metallurgy class was kicking my butt as well! Looking back in hindsight, if it wasn't for that "bug" or that metallurgy class, I wouldn't be where I am now. When I was at N.O.C., my advisor Mr. Bill Burns informed me that a man from UPS was in the next room interviewing students for part time jobs and the rest is history. I had every intention to finish up my degree at OSU, but UPS allowed me the opportunity to work for a really good wage, and the supervisors at the time understood and worked with me when I needed time off to head out to a Pow-Wow. I have not looked back since.
MW: I know all about those Design classes George. I graduated with my A.S. from Cameron University with my Computer Aided Design Drafting degree and my B.S. in Engineering Design Technology. I can remember some of those engineering calculations taking up to four pages.
GA: Oh man, don't remind me of those.
MW: You have a wonderful family George, would you care to talk about your family and what they mean to you?
GA: Man, how much time do you have on your hands? I could talk all day and night about my family. I'll give you a quick rundown as this could be a separate interview all by itself. My loving wife M. Renee Alexander is my best friend and "The Best" Cloth Dancer in the universe. Renee is my source of inspiration and keeps me and our boys "in line". I wouldn't want Renee's job, because she is a stay at home mom. Between all the duties she does during the day, she keeps me informed of what's going on in the world. She's my news lady since I'm cooped up in a brown truck all day. Our oldest son Charles lives in Pawnee, with his wife Sara. They have given Renee and me the most beautiful angel in the whole world, a Granddaughter by the name of Charli Savana Alexander. She has just turned two, and she is already "The Boss"! Being a grandparent is definitely a blessing. When I was growing up, I had five Grandpas from whom I listened and learned. They definitely molded me into the person I am today. Now it is my turn to be that grandparent for my granddaughter. Truly a blessing! Next on the family list would be my daughter Ashlan Littlecrow Alexander. She's officially graduated from high school now and she will be heading to N.O.C. in Tonkawa with a scholarship to play soccer for the Mavericks in the fall. So we will be cheering her on at the next level. Next is Kenny Alexander. He will be a Sophomore this fall and will be "knocking heads" for Ponca City High School in class 6A football. He's currently doing the "Summer Pride" workouts now. He danced Fancy when he was nine years old and was already starting to be a major threat in Teen Boys Division. But a major growth spurt put a halt to that. Making moccasins every 6 months when there is nothing wrong with the old pair, yeah, that was a nightmare! But he's going to make a comeback very soon and that's when I'll hang'em up. Our youngest son Gavin is going to be a 4th grader this fall, but he hasn't expressed any interest in dancing yet. Although he loves to watch, I think he's planning to start learning some songs. He has mentioned to us that he wants to learn to sing like his brother Rylon George, and Uncles Juaquin & Curtis Hamilton. His decision surprised me; however I would be very happy if he followed through with it. Yeah, I can officially say that I love "hanging with the Alexander's".
 (The Alexander Children)
MW: Yes indeed, you have a very loving family George and I don't blame you for wanting to spend every waking minute with them. Now tell me, outside of attending a Pow-Wow on the weekends, what else do you and your family enjoy doing together?
GA: When we do stay home, our oldest kids will come and stay, or they will bring our granddaughter to visit us. That's always fun! Then we'll go and feed the ducks & geese. Sometimes we all go out to eat somewhere if Renee doesn't cook something at home for us or we'll end up grilling. I guess you can say we like to eat!! Sometimes we'll just break out the pillows, unplug all our phones, and put on some movies...yeah!!
MW: Who would you say is your biggest source of inspiration?
GA: That would be my family. Every single person in my family has a distinct personality, a positive trait that I take with me everyday. Renee and I teach our boys to be humble and proud of who you are. Speak your mind, be confident, and above all, pray.
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