Julie Ellerton talks with participants at Chumash Day about the meaning of traditional dancing in their lives. Special to The Malibu Times
Eddie Green Flag
Chumash Day Master of Ceremony, Los Angeles, Pish Shumi Tribe
“I started dancing only around seven years ago. I’ve been going to Powwow with my grandma since I was little. I always wanted to be a dancer. One day Tony Little Hawk crossed my path and actually helped save my life. He took me through the ceremonies, one of the dancers was in his prayer circle, and I told him I wanted to dance because I didn’t want to do the other things I was doing.
“I used to drink a lot. It hurt me and I see how much it was hurting our people. Not until I got clean and sober and I do these ceremonies and dance, did I realize how important it was for the older ones to teach the younger ones.
“I drive a truck and do lots of things during the day. It’s really not about the money, I don’t need a lot of that. The Creator always takes care of me.”
Rachel Landry
San Diego, part Cherokee, part Taino
“I was four years old when I started dancing. My dad took me to powwows when I was younger.
“Dancing means a lot to me because I’ve grown up with it. Being able to improve myself as a dancer and also dance with my heart, means a lot to me.
“Dancing helps keep me in contact with the circle and keeps me close to all my family and friends. It’s a big part of my life because it keeps me grounded.
“I’m definitely going to pass it down to my children, because I think that it’s a really important thing they should have in their life.
“I stay close not just to my family and friends but also stay close with God, because God is here in the arena.”
Tony Ward
Anchorage Alaska, Gwich’in Tribe
“I was kind of feeling sad at the time and began to talk to our lead drummer about it and he invited me to dance this style of dance.
“I collected all the feathers on my regalia [clothing]. It came to me for a reason and I put my regalia together.
“Dancing helped me in a lot of ways.
“When I dance I dance for the people, for the elders and for the handicapped people who can’t dance, so I dance for them. It’s kept me grounded, our drum group is an alcohol- and drug-free drum group and I’ve been alcohol- and drug-free.
“Two of my sons already dance with me. It’s just a better way of life than drinking and drugging.”
Sam Bear Paw
Northern Arizona, White Mountain Apache Tribe
“I’ve been singing for nine years now. My brother Setan James is the lead singer to this drum. Both of our parents and grandparents had sung in one form or another. My great-grandfather, Sylvester Bear Paw, was a singer. He told it to my grandfather, and then my grandfather told it to my father, and then so on down the line.
“Singing and dancing is the most important thing for me, in my life, because I feel it in my spirit.
“The songs are so old and powerful. As long as we keep them going in that way, nothing will die and that same spirit will keep on living throughout our family, and my sons, and grandsons. I have five grandsons now, and they’re singing with us when they can.”