An exciting and enriching part of my project includes visiting a couple of powwows. A powwow is a native American social gathering, either of one nation or inter-tribal. The one I went to on Sunday was the Worcester Inter-tribal Indian Center Powwow, in Rutland State Park. I was amazed to see everything that I've read about the powwow ceremonies and traditional ways—the circle, the dancers with their regalia, and drum groups. There was the circle—a fenced, not very big, part of the grass field. At the center of the circle a pot with smudge (or sage—a sacred herb) was installed, heated, and smoke with a very pleasant herbal scent was coming out of it. There were two large drums, whose sound was heard from far away, and two groups of singers, who sat around the drum, beating it together, and singing the songs, lead by a head-singer. I'm impressed how high the male voices could reach, and also how they manage to stay on one note, and do a kind of warbling on it.

The dancers were spectacular! Their regalia consisted of a colorful blend of leathers, feathers, fringes, jingles, moccasins, and numerous decorations. Each dress is highly symbolic and individual. While it expresses in a way the tribal affiliation of the dancer, there's no conformity to a strict pattern and color, and plenty of room for individual artistic expression. The same applies to the style of dancing: while everyone moves in one direction around the circle, the steps and moves are individually chosen. Everyone could go and dance—there were people wearing sneakers and t-shirts, who danced equally passionately. The beat of the drum was so addictive, that my feet were tapping in rhythm all through the songs. The heat was almost unbearable, but nobody seemed to be bothered—the high spirit and the enthusiasm to reconnect with their ancestors certainly took precedence.

Meanwhile, local craftsmen were selling their works of art around the field. I was so pleased not to find the cheap plastic "Made in China" things. Instead, there were different kinds of exquisitely crafted jewelry, shoes, boxes, accessories, feathers, dream-catchers, and what not. Sometime later in the afternoon Strong Eagle, the native flute-player I met in Worcester, had a flute-performance, into which he put his heart and soul, and greatly impressed his audience with the gentle and mellow flow of his song. The echo from the microphone also helped enhance the sound and wrap in magic the whole place. I think I start to realize how important is to play from your own heart and have your own song. In that case, hardly anyone can criticize your playing, because it expresses your individuality, and it belongs only to you. I'm inspired and full of energy to move forward, as the highlight of my journey is coming soon.