160 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 195 



War dances, which occupy much of the time at powwow, there are 

 other Indian dances and activities. Among the Plains Indian ele- 

 ments are Round dances, the Buffalo dance, and the Ghost dance 

 Hand game. From the Eastern Woodlands come the "Stomp" and 

 Snake dances; from the Southwest comes the Eagle dance. Of non- 

 Indian origin are championship dancing contests and "powwow prin- 

 cess" events. The "Indian Cake-walk," a version of musical chairs 

 accompanied by Indian singing and drumming, is of mixed derivation. 



In the large tent villages surrounding the powwow arena, a South- 

 ern Ponca, Choctaw, Delaware, or any other tribesman can associate 

 with other Indians in an "Indian" atmosphere. In the evening he may 

 reaffirm his Indian ethos by actively circling the big drum or by 

 passively identifying himself with the dancers from the sidelines. 

 What matter if he is a Cherokee, yet dances Plains Indian dances in 

 a Plains Indian costume? It is all recognized as being part of an 

 Indian whole, and this is the essential point. 



The Southern Ponca are ardent powwowers, and furnish singers and 

 dancers for the celebrations of many surrounding tribes. Their own 

 annual "Ponca powwow" is likewise a Pan-Indian affair, and draws 

 its participants from many tribes. Costumes, dancing styles, and 

 music, are rapidly becoming standardized throughout the State of 

 Oklahoma. 



The "Pan-Indianization" of the Southern Ponca has effected many 

 changes in what little remains of the aboriginal culture of the band. 

 For example, the fact that a premium has been placed on the ability 

 to sing HeM,ska songs, which are the accompaniment of the Pan- 

 Indian War dance has brought about a mild revival of this musical 

 form. Likewise, since Ponca singers are called upon to sing for other 

 tribes quite frequently, the Ponca have felt compelled to learn the favorite 

 songs of other groups. Nowadays we even find Ponca who can lead 

 (i.e., sing for) the Southeastern "Stomp" and Alligator dances, and 

 teams of Southern Ponca dancers perform the Pueblo-derived Eagle 

 dance at various powwows. 



The degree to which Oklahoma Indian dance costumes have become 

 standardized is immediately apparent, even to the untrained observer. 

 The "feathers" style costume is now worn by nearly all male par- 

 ticipants in the War dance, regardless of which tribe. In the case of 

 the Southern Ponca this has meant that older, more characteristically 

 tribal, costume styles have been abandoned. Younger Southern 

 Ponca, lacking the perspective time gives, often do not realize that 

 things have not always been so, and consider the rather baroque 

 "feathers" outfit, with its fancy butterfly bustles, to be the same 

 costume their ancestors wore two or three hundred years ago. 



Some Southern Ponca girls, apparently resenting the relatively 

 restricted role that tribal tradition and the heavy woman's dress 



