Médecine du corps et de l’âme: une interprétation subjective de la ritournelle du powwow

Abstract

This article intends to explore the universe of powwow, a social and spiritual gathering of Indigenous peoples in North America. It is a subjective approach, i.e. not thoroughly academic, in its form and content. Subjective, as it is mainly based upon the explanations and perspectives expressed by Native powwow goers, in order to have an inner point of view of what has become an intertribal phenomenon, yet open to a non-Indigenous audience. Ideas expressed by some philosophers about the body and dancing (Nietzche), music and territory (Deleuze and Guattari), joy (Spinoza), may help reveal the ontological implications of powwows. The powwow may seem “flashy,” but it is actually more complex that it seems. The multifaceted aspect of the powwow will therefore be studied through eight steps, each step being conceived as a step for noninitiates to move further beyond the trappings in their understanding of a typical Indigenous pageant. Each step will try to answer a specific query: where does the term “powwow” come from? How did it evolve? Are there different types of powwows? To which extent spirituality is part of powwows? Is a special space necessary to organize a powwow? Do powwows claim a form of Native pride? Have powwows played a role in the cultural renaissance of Indigenous peoples? Can powwows be considered as an assertion of life and Indigenous survivance?