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Native American - Northeast and Southeast Woodland
Native American
Ceremonial Artifacts
Flags ➔ Flag And Pole, Annual Indian Pageant Ottowa [sic] Stadium, Harbor Springs

Identifier:

2002.69.1

Description:

Blue ink words and image on white canvas printed one side only. Shows profile of Native American man in Plains-Style headdress.;This is very showy evidence of the transitional period between traditional tribal gatherings and the modern 'pow-wow.' At the time of these pageants, wealthy non-Indians that summered in Harbor Springs encouraged the local Ottawa to put on shows in 'traditional' dress for tourists. These pageants began in the early 20th century when the Grand Rapids - Indiana railway sponsored 'Hiawatha' pageants and promoted them to potential tourists from southern Michigan and Indiana. Although traditional gatherings had pretty much petered out due to Catholicism, integration, and "Indian Schools" by the early 20th century, a Catholic Priest in Cross Village began encouraging the local Ottawa to put on fundraising festivals in which they danced and served traditional food for non-Indians. This Cross-village festival was not directly related to the railway pageant, but its proximity and similarity to the pageants is striking. While essentially beginning as entertainment that served only non-Indians, and benefited Indians only in the form of slight income, this annual event has evolved into the modern Harbor Springs pow-wow which is open to non-Indians, but has become predominantly an event for and about Native Americans and their culture.;Annual Indian Pageant Ottowa Stadium;Seller bought it from some guy who said he just found it in his garage (in northern Michigan) and didn't know how he had come to own it.;This flag (ca. 1950) is a rare example of evolving modern 'pow-wow' traditions in Michigan. The 'Ottowa Stadium' is a natural bowl along the lake bluff in Harbor Springs that was outfitted with bleacher seating for the purpose of staging 'Indian' pageants for paying non-Indians after WWII. The first 'Ottowa Stadium' pageants were held by the Michigan Indian Foundation (MIF) to benefit Ottawa education. The MIF was organized mostly by American businessmen, many from Detroit.

Many influences besides the stadium pageants converged to create the modern Pow-wow, so its evolution is complex and difficult to trace. They include:'Hiawatha' pageants sponsored The Grand Rapids-Indiana Railway as a tourist attraction (starting in 1905);

Catholic Church festival pow-wows in Cross Village to raise funds for the church (starting in the mid-1920s);

An annual festival sponsored by the Michigan Indian Defense Association (MIDA) starting in 1935; MIDA was organized by Michigan Ottawas to press for treaty rights they had been denied since their tribal status was terminated by the U.S. government.

Pageants organized at church and government-run Indian boarding schools;

Western-influenced 'pan-Indian' or 'intertribal' contest pow-wows;

Traditional extended family gatherings;

Renewed pride in Native American culture and identity;

While many of these early festivals and pageants presented romanticized 19up14 th century stereotypes, Indian people enjoyed the camaraderie they found there. The pageants and festivals fostered a renaissance of clothing and traditions, and traditional arts were revived for sale. Over time, revived Woodland traditions replaced many stereotypes. By the 1960s, 'Ottowa Stadium' pow-wows were sponsored by the Northern Michigan Ottawa Association (NMOA), another treaty-rights group. The NMOA also sponsored a theatrical dance troupe that traveled to pow-wows and other Anishinabe gatherings to teach Anishinabe heritage to their own people. By this time Michigan pow-wows had become a distinctly traditional 'Indian' event. This flag represents one important branch on the modern Michigan pow-wow's family tree.

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Date:

circa 1950

Materials:

Cotton Wood

Dimensions:

22.5" h 37" w

Current Location Status:

In Storage

Source:

Museum Purchase

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Related Entities:

Ottawa (creator)
Alternate names: Odaawa, Odawa Chums Corner Antique Mall Ltd (donor)