- As dancers, we pay homage, and we pay respect to those who danced before us.

We express through our dance, as we offer the tobacco, when we offer our prayers.

We hope and pray that the ancestors are looking upon us in a good way.

We hope and pray that those in the audience, those who are sick, those who are afflicted, those who are hurting, those who are sad, that they will be uplifted, and they will feel the healing power and be inspired by our songs and our dances in this Powwow way of life.

(upbeat music) (speaking Shoshone language) My name is George Abeyta, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, and I'm also a Fancy Feather Dancer.

(traditional music) The dance that I do, the "Fancy Feather Dance," has a lot of flamboyance, a lot of flair.

They say, believe it or not, that this dance has its origin among the non-native.

It was Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show that is sometimes credited with the origin of this dance.

They say that Buffalo Bill talked to one of his traditional dancers, the old style, very simple, single bustle, darker colors, and he asked that traditional dancer if he would add more feathers, more fringe, brighter colors, more bells.

And then they say that Buffalo Bill went to the singers and said, "Hey, we're gonna come up "with this new kind of dance.

"I want you boys to sing louder and faster."

And he went back to those dancers and said, "You know, they're gonna sing loud and fast, "so feel free to put in some freestyle, "some modern, contemporary, "feel free to do some kicks and spins."

They say that is how that "Fancy Dance" began.

Others will tell you that's a bunch of nonsense.

A dance this awesome could never come from a crazy white guy, like Buffalo Bill Cody.

They say this dance has its origin among the Ponca tribe, Southern Plains of Oklahoma.

They say there was a couple of warriors studying the horses as the horses were running about, and watched them, how proud they were, how they danced and pranced and thought it would be cool if we could dance like the horse.

So the warriors put on extra feathers, braided up, and they put out their chest, and they dance sideways this way and sideways this way and the pranced around like that horse.

And then others wanted to outdo them, and they added more and more and more.

Then it became known as the "Crazy Dance."

But today, it's the "Fancy Feather Dance."

It's the most modern contemporary of all the male dances in the Powwow arena.

(traditional music) (performer singing) The outfits, the designs in the beadwork and the different styles, the different materials, the different colors, they go with that family.

They ask, "Who made your outfit?"

And I have to give them a long list of people.

Maybe they're Powwow family.

Maybe their direct relatives, immediate family.

Maybe they're distant relatives, but we all join, and we put these beautiful outfits together.

A lot of times a dancer is gifted a certain part of the outfit.

A lot of times a champion dancer will go and win a full set of beadwork or a full set of "Fancy Dance" bustles or a head roach.

So some of these things are gifted.

Some of these things are earned.

If you were to go to a real Powwow, you would see hundreds of dancers, maybe even thousands of dancers at the grand entry.

That's the beginning of a Powwow session.

In the grand entry, we follow our flags.

We follow today's Native American warriors.

They are the veterans.

They have earned that right to lead the people, for it was their honor, it was their valor.

It was their courage and their bravery.

It was their sacrifices that started this Powwow way of life.

Or when they went into a battle, or they went on a successful hunt, the women would sing those victory songs of gratitude, thanks to (speaking Shoshone), Heavenly Father, creator for bringing their warriors home.

And there was a big celebration, and there was also those victory dances by our warriors.

Those were the first Powwows.

And today's Powwow oftentimes focuses on competition dancing where each category will showcase their style, all at the same time for the judges.

At the end of a three-day Powwow, the announcer will give the list of winners.

And we all hope to be on that winners' list and make it to the pay window at the end of the celebration.

(traditional music) (performer singing) We pay honor, respect and homage to our drums and our singers, for without that drum and without our singers, there would be no dancing.

The old ones tell us that the heartbeat is that drum beat.

The heartbeat of Mother Earth is that drum beat.

As long as there's that drum beat, as long as there's a heartbeat for Mother Earth, there will be a beautiful life.

So we celebrate this way.

Each of those Powwow categories has specific songs that go with it.

A true mark of a championship drum group is their ability to pull up the appropriate song at a moment's notice.

That song, (traditional music) that drum beat, those voices has great power.

You can feel that positive, uplifting power of the drum.

It's healing.

It's good medicine for the people.

(performer beating drum and singing) Some say that the best dancers, especially the Fancy Feather, the Fancy Shawl, some of the Chicken Dancers, they say that they're the best athletes in the world.

You know, I don't doubt it when they say that, because it is very rigorous.

Some of the songs are (clapping) fast tempo, and you have to keep up with those drums.

And sometimes there's a tie.

Maybe the judges cannot make up their mind, and they ask for another song and another song and another song to break that tie, to pick their favorite dancer, so you have to be in really good shape.

The old ones tell us that our songs and our dances, this Powwow way of life brings blessings of strength and happiness to the people.

So when we have the opportunity to dance, we share that blessing with the people.

(traditional music) (performers singing)