LAKE GENEVA POWWOW

Father's Day Weekend
LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN

The Powwow Staff

The Emcee

The master of ceremonies sets the tempo for the powwow. He keeps the drum rotation in order, decides which dance is held when, announces events, explains powwow etiquette, and most importantly, tells stories and jokes. The main purpose of an emcee is to keep everyone in good spirits so that the powwow is lively and fun.

The Arena Director

The arena director is the keeper of the circle, the man who ensures that the powwow flows smoothly. He makes sure that water is available for the singers, dancers, and elders; the arena remains clean; and disruptive people are escorted out. The arena director picks up any items that a dancer may drop, and those items are his to keep, although he may return them if he chooses.

The Drums

Without a drum, there is no powwow. Each drum consists of the instrument and its singers. The head singer leads songs, speaks for the drum, and receives and disburses any gifts that the drum may receive. The drum sings songs of many kinds: flag songs, honor songs, veteran's songs, intertribal songs, healing songs, traveling songs. Drums may travel long distances to attend powwows, and the powwow committee may ask for a "blanket dance" to collect monetary gifts to help defray travel expenses for the drums.

Head Man and Head Woman Dancers

The head dancers are respected dancers who are asked to serve as the model for all other dancers. They are the first people to dance in a song, and no other person is allowed to dance until they start. This is a position of great respect.

Royalty

Powwow royalty are ambassadors representing a tribe or organization at other events. The Lake Geneva princess and brave are selected by committee members on the basis of their character and their performance in a special dance. Princesses generally receive a sash and a beaded crown. One special privilege of royalty is to be among the first people to enter the arena in grand entry and to have their presence announced by the emcee.

The Committee

The committee is a group of volunteers who organize the powwow, taking care of scheduling, finances, security, setup and teardown -- in short, the grunt work! There's a lot to be done during the year so that everything goes as smoothly as possible on Father's Day weekend. If you're interested in joining us at our monthly meetings or volunteering at the powwow, just send us a message.

Learn More

Etiquette
Powwow Staff
The Arena
The Four Circles
The Spirit Fire
The Songs
Men's Dances
Women's Dances
Social Dances
Powwow Calendar