Last night at Raven Dancers was amazing. Our dancers wore all their regalia (it's not a costume--ever; it's regalia or an outfit) in anticipation of the arrival of a Tlingit dance group visiting from Alaska that contacted the Raven Dancers to share in an exchange of cultures. There were so many amazing moments over the course of the evening that I just can't paint the full picture. But here are some vignettes:

The Tlingit regalia was striking! Heavy felt blankets in black, white, and red with Tlingit raven, wolf, porpoise, and eagle designs outlined in mother-of-pearl buttons. One young woman had a beaded headpiece with beaded strands that flowed down over her hair and eyes. Nearly conical straw hats with the same types of designs for some, and ancestor masks and headpieces for others, were powerful symbols. Every design on a dancer's regalia represents the ancestors of that dancer. So if a Tlingit dancer turns his or her back on you, it's a way of bringing their ancestors to you.

The drumming is loud, vibrant, and enveloping. As with many cultures, the tradition started with only the men drumming. However, like some areas of powwow culture (particularly Northern style drumming), women drummers are beginning to be accepted. Generally, only the men dance, and only the women sing, not the other way around. The women still have movement, however, in offering honor to the gods and ancestors as they sing. It provides for a visual and auditory feast that keeps your attention bouncing around to make sure you don't miss anything.

One dance was a drum routine, where all the men danced with their drums. I could feel the earth vibrating under me--the heartbeat of the mother is strong.

Here's a story about Tlingit dance and its place in the culture. And here's a description by a 7th grader of what it means to be in a Tlingit dance group. Lastly, here are some pictures of a different dance group. I should have taken pictures and video last night--I would love to share it. But perhaps it will encourage you to search it out on YouTube (there are a few videos of various groups there) or, if a group performs in your area, to go see them. It's worth it!

Our dancers shared some wonderful dances as well--some in the powwow tradition and some that the group has learned from specific traditions, along with one . The Ute bear dance, which Dave loves, was one group dance that we encouraged the Tlingit group to do with our group. They had us dance in one of their dances, too--a circle dance that coordinated nicely with the circle dance style of the "lower 48" tribes.

It's fantastic to be part of this group. I'm excited to learn the dances and to make my regalia. I'm still working on ideas for designs. Dave is going to bead a vest, too, when he's ready to. He is already doing really well at the drum. At one point last night, Bear--the drum leader--turned the microphone a little more toward Dave as they were singing together. I think it's a great place for him and he's going to do really well.

This raises my spirit. It is giving me a new direction to turn my spiritual pursuits--and one in which I think I can thoroughly express my love for my home and for who I am. As the 7th grader above said, it's important to know who you are. But for me, and I suspect for many transplants or descendants of transplants to this country (though certainly not all), it's a little different. I can say that I'm Sicilian, French, English, and German... but I have little real connection to any of those cultures. I've never had the immersion in the background of those cultures that defines me as those things. I have the mish-mash of what it became when my American parents came together with their culture that is separated from their ethnic heritage. I'm all of those things, and none of those things. What I am is an American mutt who is trying to figure out who that might really make me.

As we went around the circle last night, each of us introducing ourselves, we were encouraged to share our tribe or clan affiliation. Those who have no native affiliation pretty much just said they were anglo. When it came to my turn, I said simply, "I was born and grew up here in Colorado." And that's what it really is. In this odd American culture, I feel that I am more connected to where I am, to where I became myself, than to where my family came from. And there has to be a way to express that, to be a part of something that helps me demonstrate that that is who I am. And this is one part of that. I'm glad we found Raven Dancers.

Peace

ETA: I found the name and a MySpace page for the dancers. They're Woosh.ji.een Dancers, and they're performing in Denver today at the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center, on the second level, at 2:30. Don't miss it if you can help it!