The curious history of modern powwow
Falen and Leah take to the powwow trail to find out what the powwow was and what it is now, and how it is helping some connect to culture.
Plus, Leah and Falen get to the bottom of how to pronounce "scone dog"
Ah, the smell of fry bread, bright regalia, and vendors selling everything from dreamcatchers to expensive jewellery — the modern day powwow is really a feast for the senses. But did you know we can trace the roots of these gatherings to dodgy medicines and even old wild west shows? And how do you pronounce scone dog? Falen and Leah take to the powwow trail to find out what the powwow was and what it is now, and how it is helping some connect to culture.
Listen to the episode here, and get transcripts of our series here.
- Check out our episode on the history of blackface here.
- And check out our episode on the potlatch ban here.
Key References
- History of Powwows
- Snake oil, hustlers and hambones : the American medicine show
- Patent Medicines, Medicine Shows, and The Secret Life of Blackface
- The Right Chemistry: Sordid medicine shows exploited Indigenous cures
- About Medicine Shows
- American Indian Powwows
- Wild West Shows
- Buffalo Bill and the Wild West Shows
- Heartbeat of the People by Tara Browner
- Indian Act
- History of Powwows
- 'We need to be visible': Two-spirit powwow gives dancers a place to be themselves