Who owns OA equipment?

[SR540Beaver]

Eagle92,

 

For the record, we refer to it as regalia. At Fall Fellowship, we hold regalia workshops. By doing so, we have chosen NOT to follow OA policy. Here is the text from the Guide to Inductions I referenced earlier.

 

"To begin this topic, lets focus on getting over the use of the word costume. You may hear various sources or see in print the clothing being worn while performing ceremonies spoken of as outfit, costume, attire, regalia, native clothing, native garb, or other terms. These all mean roughly the same thing but can be confusing to inexperienced persons.

 

After consulting with a number of Native Americans, the National Order of the Arrow Committee set the policy that, in order to be consistent in its terminology, the Order will use the term costume and its derivatives, such as costuming, when referring to the clothing worn while performing Order of the Arrow ceremonies."

 

OA's policy seems to be that true Native Americans wear regalia while OA ceremonialists and dancers who are imitating Native Americans do not. So as not to insult them, we are to use the term costume......but old habits die hard as evidenced by both of us using the term regalia within the OA.

 

[emb021]

"OA's policy seems to be that true Native Americans wear regalia while OA ceremonialists and dancers who are imitating Native Americans do not. "

 

Not quite.

 

They are costumes when worn by OA ceremonialists. The policy, AFAIK, does NOT apply to dancers. They fall under a different group within the OA (ICE vs AIA), and the AIA people do NOT use the term 'costume'.

 

ICE= inductions/ceremonies group

AIA= American Indian Activities group

 

[SR540Beaver]

emb,

 

Probably correct. I don't claim to be an expert on OA publications, but I don't recall any references to dance teams in what I've read. I'm sure there are some, I just have not run across them.

 

Edited to add that I went back and looked at the Guide to Inductions and on page 33 there is guidance on not using dance "costumes" in place of ceremony costumes because their function is different (dance costumes are often noisy). That being said, there may be other official OA documents other than the Guide to Inductions that does indeed refer to dance regalia instead of dance costume.(This message has been edited by sr540beaver)

[emb021]

Dance outfits are for dancing, not for OA ceremonies.

 

This was a topic that came up at Indian Summer last year. A lot of people (especially those from the AIA side), didn't like the use of the term "costume", for the reasons given by others here.

 

They made it clear that this is the term to use in CEREMONIES. Reasons given is that these clothes are created for team use, much like theatrical clothing, with more an interest on looking decent, not in being accurate (as is done by those on the AIA side, whether one is a dancer or not).

 

Dance outfits are created by individuals for their own use, and work on being correct and (as applicable) historically accurate, where ceremonial clothing is not.

 

So I understand where they are coming from, but people should NOT make the mistake of calling dance outfits or the like as 'costumes'.

 

[Tokala]

I always call them what they are: clothes.

 

I have both OA ceremonies and pow wow involvement and we tend to put more effort into determining a description than the Native Americans do. Go to a pow wow and they'll tell you that they're going to put their clothes on.

 

I see more Scouts and Scouters taking offense at the use of the words costume, regalia, etc, than I do Indians.

[Eagle92]

SR,

 

No problems. I know I can rant, and I try to make it as possitive as possible and not try and sound negative. Hence the attempt at the DOCTOR impersonation and the smileys.

 

And the topic does hit home a bit b/c my old lodge disbanded their dancers b/c they were asked to by the local Indians. They were being VERY obnoxious and disrespectful. And if you go to powwows or powwow related websites, you can hear and see anti-BSA bias. Some of it legit, some not so legit.

 

Emb,

 

Yep there is a very big difference between ceremony and dance gear. And I've seen one chapter use dance regalia for a ceremony and it was horrible. The bells clanked the entire time, bustles got in the way, etc. It really ruined the ceremony IMHO.

 

BUT, if someone does both dancing and ceremonies, and takes the time to plan it properly, some items can be used for both dancing and ceremonies. Mostly the bone sets, roaches, etc. I've done that and helpd folks to do it.

 

Tokala,

 

I've hear that too. I've also heard Powwow best too. But when I was learning to dance, that was one thing that as ingrained in me: do not call the clothing a costume.

[emb021]

"I see more Scouts and Scouters taking offense at the use of the words costume, regalia, etc, than I do Indians."

 

Most of the people I know (myself included) involved in "Indian Lore" (I don't dance, but do create historically accurate period clothing) have no issue with regalia, clothing, or outfit. Using the word 'costume' is not appreciated or liked, as we are trying to create properly clothing/outfits. As noted, these are not costumes.

 

It seemed that only those outside the world of "indian lore" who want to impose the term 'costume' on us. Most Native Americans, so long as we are respective and work toward accuracy, don't have a problem with us.

 

 

[CalicoPenn]

When I participate in buckskinning re-enactments, I call the clothes I'm wearing "clothes", but I recognize that they are a costume. Anyone who calls them "regalia" is laughed at behind their back, or more often, laughed in their face. If I were a RenFaire participant, playing a part in the royal court, I might call it "regalia" but I doubt it - I would probably call it clothes and recognize that it's a costume.

 

The American Indian dancers that I speak with call their dance outfits either outfits or clothes. None of them refer to it as regalia, and they consider people who call it regalia to be posers and wannabes - often using the term "stupid white man" when they hear it.

 

Now if you want to call your dance clothing an outfit - feel free. But there really is no difference between white boys wearing American Indian garb at a ceremony and white boys wearing American Indian garb dancing - you are portraying someone or something from a different culture - you are wearing a costume.

[Eagle92]

Calico,

 

Again no disrespect, but you don't know of re-enactors, excuse me living historians, who get visibly angry when you call their clothing, costumes? I worked at one place where one for my coworkers was a "tad bit ticked off" when I called her outfit a costume. And for whatever reason she hated the term re-enactor as well, wanting to be called a living historian.

 

I also overheard an angry living historian tell one person, "this aint a ... costume, this is my uniform mister." Luckily he caught himself before saying a few choice words at the event.

 

Also I first heard of the term" regalia used at a powwow by the Native Americans. One thing to remember, there is not a single NA culture, but multiple cultures. While Powwows are a Plains thing, it has spread and local nations have added to them, do thigns differently, etc. Things that were common where I'm from are not doen here, and vice versa. Things that you would see out west, you'll see in my neck of the woods, and vice versa. Best example I can give is I never saw a Gustowah until I moved to NC. BUT since moving to NC, I've not seen a Dog Soldier headress yet.(This message has been edited by eagle92)