Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 49 POWWOW Today, "powwow" is recognized the world over as a Native North American celebration of rhythm, regalia, song and dance. e word powwow originated in a relatively small region of the American East Coast, and did not always refer to a celebration of traditions. e term was first recorded in English by Mayflower pas- senger Edward Winslow in his 1624 journal Good News from New England. e journal preserves Winslow's observations on New World weather, food procurement, colony politics, and Native American customs. Winslow describes his association with the indigenous Narragansett of present-day Rhode Island, and his rudi- mentary comprehension of the native's "copious, large, and difficult" language. One of the words Winslow learned was Powah, the title of a Narragansett shaman-healer. Winslow writes in his 1624 journal, "e office and duty of the Powah is... principally in... curing diseases of the sick or wounded." e term showed up in later writings as pouwau, pawawe, pawwaw, and, ultimately, powwow. Linguists studying native East Coast languages trace powwow to a term meaning "one who dreams," which suggests the mystical power of a healer. By the early 1700s, the term was expanded by English speakers to include a gathering of Native people. English historian John Oldmixon wrote in his 1708 British Empire in America, "On the 22d of May, the Indians at the Wigwams, near the Fort, had a Powwow, or sort of Conjuring." e term accompanied westward expansions, alighting anywhere a conspicuous Native assembly involved feasting, drumming, dancing or incomprehensible religious ceremony. A 21st century powwow is an indigenous celebration incor- porating such modern amenities as amplified sound systems, evolving contest rules and generous prizes. Tribal affiliations notwithstanding, contemporary powwows borrow from an ancient Narragansett source-word meaning "one who dreams." #220703 On the golf course $245,000 #211201 Classic mountain $950,000 #220253 Prime 4 acres $319,000 #218348 Quinessential $459,000 #211012 Summit $269,000 KATIE HALEY GRIMM ERA LANDMARK - BIG SKY 406.580.3444 erabigsky.com katiegrimm@eralandmark.com BIG SKY DAVID METCALF

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