Description
Book SynopsisHo-Chunk powwows are the oldest powwows in the Midwest and among the oldest in the US, beginning in 1902 outside Black River Falls in west-central Wisconsin. Grant Arndt examines Wisconsin Ho-Chunk powwow traditions and the meanings of cultural performances and rituals in the wake of North American settler colonialism.
Trade Review"Arndt's depth of knowledge of the topic and excellent scholarship shine in this book. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Native American culture and traditions."—Julie Goodrich,
Iowa History Journal"
Ho-Chunk Powwows and the Politics of Tradition is a creatively conceptualized, well-written, and meticulously researched volume that extends our understanding of the Ho-Chunk experience in the twentieth century and the history of cultural performance."—Amy Lonetree,
Public Historian"I recommend this book, especially to students of the powwow, as there is little knowledge to be found dedicated to the Ho-Chunk powwow tradition."—Louis Garcia,
Tribal College Journal"A nuanced examination of the power of performance among the Ho-Chunk."—Katrina Phillips,
Native American and Indigenous Studies“A fine work and a welcome addition to the literature. Arndt elaborates nuanced meanings of Ho-Chunk powwows in historical and cultural context, and just as important, he does much to uncover the more complex workings and dynamics of powwows today.”—Luke Eric Lassiter, author of
The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography“In this important new work, Grant Arndt reminds us that the powwow is more than dancing. It is a gathering with deep connections to widely shared values and practices that affirm the continuing vitality of Ho-Chunk identity and culture.”—Clyde Ellis, author of
A Dancing People: Powwow Culture on the Southern Plains Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Into the Arena
1. When Worlds Collide: Culture and Catastrophe in the Nineteenth Century
2. Gifts and Profits: On the Origins of the Powwow
3. "Time Works Changes, Even to the People of the Red Races": The Rise and Fall of the Commercial Powwow
4. Something More than Patriotism: War, Veterans, and the Return of the Powwow
5. Calling the People Together: Powwows in the Era of Nation-Rebuilding
6. Producing a Space for Culture: Powwows in the Early Twenty-First Century
Conclusion: Experimenting with the Expectations of Tradition
Notes
References
Index
