In a word, powwow is 'festival.' The colorful feathered, jeweled and beaded participants, represent the mysterious, masterful or comedic, often times with smiles dressing their faces and eagle feathers dressing their heads and backs. I'm impressed by the good dancers, especially mens traditional competitions where the colors are subdued with eagle-bone breast plates, porcupine quills, eagle feather roaches and bustles, symbolic designs, colored cloth, leggings of leather fringe and fur, bells tied to ankles, and worn moccassins. Although there are many great mens fancy dancers wearing wildly florescent red, blue and white-colored roaches, bustles and leggings, they tend to be the younger dancers. All are truly athletic to dance in competition as it takes a great deal of stamina to dance to the drum. Google 'powwow' sometime and choose a well-watched video in the listing and you get an idea of its action and energy. Women jingle and shawl dancers