July Powwows preserved Native American cultures through dangerous times. The traditional gatherings began centuries before European settlers arrived. But it was during the late 1800s and early 1900s that the U.S. government developed the Religious Crimes Code and The Code of Indian Offenses. These codes prohibited traditional Native American religious and cultural ceremonies in the name of assimilation.
Tragically, many native languages, oral histories and cultures were lost. Some tribes preserved their vital heritage by holding their own important spiritual and cultural ceremonies in secret. Others continued their ceremonial traditions under the guise of celebrating American Independence Day.
According to tribal historians, government agents often allowed reservations to conduct ceremonies on the 4th of July as a way for indigenous people to learn patriotism for America.
Following are a few interesting beats about July Powwows.
Powwows Transitioned Over Time
Native American communities conducted ceremonial gatherings for centuries. Powwow comes from pau wau, an Algonquian Indian word for the dreams. Most Native American experts agree that modern day powwows are rooted in a religious ceremony of the Pawnee held before the mid-1800s. These early powwows were mbued with reverence and religious significance.
Modern powwows derive from more recent ceremonies that began in the Plains area.
According to Smithsonian’s Folk Life:
“In the late nineteenth century, the U.S. government seized swaths of land from the Lakota, Dakota, Blackfoot, and Ojibwa peoples in the Northern Plains and from Kiowa, Comanche, Pawnee, and Ponca peoples in the Southern Plains.” (Folk Life)
A strong sense of community and intertribal exchange emerged from the tragic upheaval and loss of forced migration.
Teller’s Documents Forced Assimilation
In a letter dated March 30, 1883, Henry Teller, Secretary of Department of the Interior, wrote a letter to Hiram Price of the US Office of Indian Affairs. It outlined perceived problems among Indigenous tribes in the United States.
Teller wrote:
“If it is the purpose of the Government to civilize the Indians, they must be compelled to desist from the savage and barbarous practices that are calculated to continue them in savagery.”
Among Teller’s concerns were religious practices, including sacred dances and the leadership of medicine men.
Pierce responded with a set of written rules outlining Teller’s specific concerns. The document was commonly referred to as The Code of Indian Offenses.
Like many other people of his day, Teller and Hiram believed that Native Americans had to be “rescued” through assimilation into white “Christian” culture. To that end, they established the Code and Indian courts to enforce the new set of rules.
The Code ignored Native Americans’ First Amendment rights by criminalizing their cultural, religious beliefs and practices. Severe punishments for these offenses included fines, jail time, hard labor and the denial of rations which was tantamount to starvation.
This denial of First Amendment rights for Indigenous Americans was officially in place until 1978 when the US Congress passed American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
The documents can be read here.
Modern Native American Gatherings Still Occur In July
Although traditional Native American tribal ceremonies and celebrations date back centuries, “July Powwows” are relatively recent. Some traditional events including the Green Corn Ceremony were held in July or August. But others were included in July gatherings as a matter of self preservation.
Dennis W. Zotigh (Kiowa/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo/Isante Dakota Indian) writes for Smithsonian Magazine that Indian Superintendents and government agents often allowed reservations to “conduct ceremonies on the 4th as a way for Indians to learn patriotism to the United States and to celebrate the country’s ideals.” (Smithsonian Magazine)
This history is why so many American Indian tribal gatherings continue to be held on or near the 4th of July and are the social highlights of the year on many reservations.
In Warrior Natio, Zotigh writes that today’s powwows are social, group-oriented events.
“Powwows celebrate being Indian. These events inspire cultural and personal pride in American Indians. They allow Indian tribes, families, and individuals to come together for the purpose of feasting, hearing their languages spoken, exchanging arts and crafts, singing, dancing, and upholding tribal customs.” (Zotigh/Warrior Nation)
The Plains tribes of southwestern Oklahoma held their first inter-tribal powwow at Dietrich Lake in 1920.
“As inter-tribal powwows became more numerous, new songs and organizations were instituted to commemorate contemporary events.” (Zotigh/Warrior Nation)
Warrior Tradition Inspired Native Americans To Enlist
Despite religious and cultural suppression, many Native Americans continued their warrior tradition by enlisting in the armed forces during WWI.
Zotigh writes in Warrior Nation that “members of Indian tribes that were once mortal enemies fought side by side to defend the United States.”
On their return from war, veterans laid tribal differences aside to dance with their comrades to a common drumbeat, often at July Powwows.
“The American flag, once a symbol of the destruction of Indian lives, acquired a new status at twentieth century Indian gatherings. In a renaissance of ancient warrior societies, celebrations began to reemerge to honor veterans as modern-day warriors. Tribal elders who remembered specific tribal protocol contributed their knowledge of conducting ceremonies for Indian servicemen.” (Zotigh/Warrior Nation)
Many tribes, including The Navajo Tribe of Arizona and Pawnee of Oklahoma, use the 4th of July to honor their tribal veterans.
“Before the Reservation Era, when most Indians saw the American flag coming toward their villages and camps, it symbolized conflict, death, and destruction.” (Zotigh/Warrior Nation)
But after the war, the American flag served as a symbol of patriotism and national unity as it does today, particularly at July powwows.
Native Code Talkers Foiled America’s Enemies
Native Code Talkers secured highly sensitive communications with a code that German specialists could not break. Ironically, the U.S. government banned many Native Americans from speaking their language in tribal boarding schools in the late 19th century. Even so, Native Code Talkers were broadly credited for their crucial role in helping the Allied Forces win WWI. Code Talkers later served through WWII and in Korea and Viet Nam.
Although Native Americans were not considered citizens of the United States until 1924 and could not vote until decades later, an estimated 12,000 from many tribes across America served in WWI.
Approximately 44,000 Native Americans served in WWII. (Native CodeTalkers Foiled America’s Enemies)
Edward Curtis Photographed Native American Cultures
The 1890 census recorded the Native American population at less than 225,000, down from many millions prior to settlers arriving in 1492.
Edward Curtis commenced a daunting project in 1896. His dream was to document the culture and lifestyle of Native American tribes before it was too late. His fantastically ambitious 20-volume undertaking called The North American Indian took nearly thirty years to complete. (Edward Curtis)
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