CM Magazine: Celebrating the Powwow.

________________ CM . . . . Volume VI Number 9 . . . . January 7, 2000

Celebrating the Powwow.

Bobbie Kalman.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON: Crabtree Publishing Company, l997.
32 pp., pbk. & cl., $7.16 (pbk.), $16.76 (cl.).
ISBN 0-86505-740-0 (pbk.), ISBN 0-86505-640-4 (cl.).

Subject Headings:
Powwows-Juvenile literature.
Indians of North America-Rites and ceremonies-Juvenile literature.

Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-10.
Review by Jennifer Johnson.

*** /4

excerpt:

A powwow is a colorful event that involves dancing and drumming. It is the oldest North American celebration. Powwows are held throughout the United States and Canada. They can take place indoors, but most are held outdoors. The First Nations people gather to celebrate their individual cultures and shared beliefs.

Following the format of most Crabtree books, Celebrating the Powwow is rich in illustration with this volume including beautiful photographs bounded by brilliant primaries and interspersed with drawings. Some of the text has an underlay of drawings or designs, and photographs are sometimes set over drawings. In one example, feathers are underlaid where the text describes regalia . This approach makes the book visually exciting and attractive and will draw people into the subject. In some parts of Canada, powwows will be familiar and well-known. In others, this book will provide a wonderful introduction to the spirituality, pageantry and community which characterize powwows.

The information is presented with new or significant terms printed in bold. A contents page, ("What is in this book?"), glossary ("Words to know") and an index take readers through the subject with ease. Kalman covers the topic with thoroughness and provides detailed illustrations of regalia for both women and men. This book fills a gap in the materials available for elementary school students who are studying First Nations. Library shelves are full of books on traditional lifestyles, but few which explore current practices are appropriate to these grade levels. Although the material will answer questions, the format may present a problem for older students who want items of a more mature look.

Recommended.

Jennifer Johnson works as a librarian in Ottawa, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - January 7, 2000.