#PowwowWednesday: Men's Traditional Dance

The Men’s Traditional dance is one of pride and confidence. Evolving from the old form of war dance where stories of battles and hunts would be “danced out”, the dancers appear as strong, bold warriors.

Never dancing backwards (that would seem like retreat) or in a full circle, the traditional step is done with the ball of the foot touching the ground on the first beat, and the whole foot on the second beat. The regalia are a very personal expression of the dancer and many dancers carry items that symbolize their status as warriors.

Powwow practices vary from region to region of course. Here is fantastic video of the Men’s Traditional from the Six Nations Grand River Powwow last month.