Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium by Sharon Hoogstraten (review)

Reviewed by: Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium by Sharon Hoogstraten John N. Low Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium By Sharon Hoogstraten (Chicago: Shikaakwa Press, 2022. Pp. iv, 284. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $80.00.) Although many characterize powwows as originating in the nineteenth century, there is little doubt that Native Americans have always and often gathered together to dance and sing. Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium is an important contribution to documenting the traditions and innovations in dance regalia we associate with powwows today. The author is an enrolled citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma. Having been born in Michigan and having lived a large part of her life in Chicago, she nonetheless has maintained strong connections with her tribal nation. Within this book, Hoogstraten documents the incredible array of regalia maintained by the nine Potawatomi nations in the United States. While doing so, she also collects the individual stories of the dancers, their families and communities, and the knowledge that goes into making their regalia. I am perhaps a distant cousin of the author, being myself a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. When I first saw this book, I was unsure of what to expect because of the numerous photographs and large format. But this is much more than a coffee-table book. While the author eschews the label of artist and prefers storyteller, I think she is both and more. The powwow regalia beautifully reflect the artistry of the Potawatomi peoples across North America. Her photography is also beautiful, delightful, comforting, and moving. She shares her expertise in photography, which is her profession, and also shares her own ability to listen, inquire, and collect. These skills let her assemble material culture into a work that is about so much more than just regalia, powwows, tradition, innovation, expertise, and experience. It is a remarkable book that allows the reader to gain understanding about individual Potawatomi across North America. We learn who they are; why and how they do what they do; what being Potawatomi and Indigenous means to them; their connections to tradition, family, and mentors, while also expressing their creativity. Unlike Edward Curtis’s sepia-toned photography of Indians, these photographs do not depict anonymous people for the tourist gaze. Hoogstraten carefully identifies each person we “meet” through her book, which is filled with the stories of those she photographs. The regalia is lovely, but I expected that. The photography is rich in color, depth, and light. But what inspired me the most is that the subjects are not just what they are wearing—they are also vibrant human beings. They are happy, joyous, and [End Page 299] proud. The author obviously embarked on this project with a passion. That passion becomes a love story within the covers of this book. The book is organized, according to the author, “to respect cultural priorities and influenced by the patterns of Grand Entry” at a powwow (p. v). After a preface, there are nine chapters (Veterans, Grandmothers, Dancers, Tradition, Storytellers, Family, Elders, 7 Generations, Pow Wow), a bibliography, and concluding acknowledgments. Somewhat reminiscent of the 1996 book, We Dance Because We Can: People of the Powwow, this is a wonderful update to literature about powwow regalia, and a great addition to materials about Potawatomi peoples specifically. I do not know that I would ever use this book for a class, but it will be of great value to readers who are interested in Indigenous material culture and regalia; Potawatomi peoples; and how the traditions of regalia and dance reflect on our resilience, optimism, and survivance. [End Page 300] John N. Low The Ohio State University—Newark Copyright © 2023 Trustees of Indiana University