Native American Pow Wow

This past weekend I was going to try dying some wool fabric with dandelion root and lily of the valley leaves, but after studing my books I decided I was wasting my time, my books talked about dying with the flower and leaves of dandelion not the roots, and to dye with lily of the valley you should mordant with chrome. I never use chrome only alum which is not harmful, when I finish mordanting with alum I pour the left over water on my acid loving plants, holly, etc. So, I spent Saturday planting my gardens and could hardly walk that night. On Sunday I went to the Veterns Pow Wow with my husband. He is part Native American and sits on a native drum. We go to quite of few pow wows. I enjoy looking (and buying) beads to use on my wallhangings. I also get a lot of hand quilting done while were there, I love to sit and listen to the drum and watch the dancers.
This is a picture of some of the traditional dancers. They have eagle feathers, beadwork, and traditional clothing.
Traditional women dancers, carrying their shaws and eagle feather fans. The traditional dancers are the oldest dance style in North America. Head women dancer.

Close up of their shaws, one is appliqued with a beadworked (rose) leather bag on her back, and a beadworked shaw that matched her skirt and leggins.This is the drum my husband sits on, Northern Spirit, with some of the members.

This little girl is a "fancy" dancer. Their dance represents a butterfly. They start out slow with arms tucked in like a cocoon, then dance faster with the drum beat, with their shaw out like butterfly wings. Her shaw is beautiful with applique and a bead work "bib". Theres a picture of the back of her shaw a couple down.
This is a men's traditional dancer, he had some beautiful applique on his outfit. Eagle feather bustle and hair piece and a finger woven sash.
The back of her shaw.
These two are brother and sister from Mexico with Aztec heritage. Their traditional regilia was so beautiful and different. We usually don't see this type of dancers up here.

This is a picture of the back of his headdress. Notice the different native bird feathers, peacocks and tropical birds.

And the back of her headdress. Some of the Traders here, my friend Sandy (on the left) she makes mens traditional ribbon shirts, last winter she made 100 to sell.

Her husband is a master beader. This is a picture of two of the knife holders he made my husband. His bead work has won numerous awards.

Lee, a native woodern flute maker. This native lady and her son make black ash baskets. They start by cutting down the tree and pounding the log to make the strips. Their baskets were beautiful and belong in competiton.

Windi, selling her hand made drums. She also makes a lot of bead work jewerly.