American Indian Activities

OA Ceremonies

Hoka Hey! Mikanakawa Lodge has a rich tradition of excellence in ceremonies. No better example of this can be found than our performance at the 2012 National Order of the Arrow conference where 7 of our 8 teams competing were designated as honor teams. Today, we continue to build on our legacy of excellence with a team of dedicated youth.

You can get started in Ceremonies by:

  • Attending your Chapter meetings
  • Attending our Dance, Drum, and Ceremony practices
  • Coming to Ordeal Weekends
  • Being ready to perform a ceremony part

If you are a Chief, vice Chief or Adviser interested in starting or improving your team, please contact our AIA Vice-Chief at aia@miki.org. We will come to your Chapter meeting and help you get started or help coach your team.

Downloads

Ceremony Scripts:

You can download other helpful Native American related files by clicking this link.

Native American Dance Information

Hoka Hey! In Mikanakawa Lodge — our goal is for every Chapter to have a dancer. We have a strong tradition of leadership in the area of dance. Tim Jarrell placed second at the 2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference. At the 2015 NOAC two dancers placed in the Top 10 in different categories. At NOAC 2018, 5 dancers placed in the Top 10 one of them earning National Champion in the Straight Dance category. At NOAC 2022 we had 11 dancers place in the top 10 in their respective categories. This is thanks to our team of individuals that helped prepare our dancers.

Dance Styles

  • Straight (Southern Traditional) — The gentleman’s dance or a veteran’s dance
  • Grass — Oldest style of dance
  • Northern Traditional — Young warrior’s dance — tells a story
  • Old Time Sioux — The original version of Northern Traditional
  • Fancy — Has become the iconic dance of the modern-day powwow
  • Chicken — The players of the plains — imitates the plains prairie chicken
  • Ladies Southern — Graceful movements of ladies from southern plains tribes such as Comanche
  • Ladies Northern — Stately movements of ladies from northern plains tribes such as the Lakota
  • Fancy Shawl — Marked by shawls with bright, bold designs and long fringe, one of the most popular styles
  • Jingle — Originally a healing dance, dresses have multiple rows of jingle cones

Native American Drum and Singing

Hoka Hey! The drum is the heart of every powwow and the foundation for a strong Native American Activities Program. In Mikanakawa Lodge, our drum is a strong team of dedicated youth and adults’ who are committed to an exceptional program of singing that honors Native American traditions. We sing songs from the Southern Tradition, lower pitch and slower pace. Spend some time with us and you will learn songs from Ponca and Comanche tribes, and gain an appreciation for the traditions and meanings of our local Native American tribes.

At the 2018 NOAC, Mikanakawa Lodge took a Drum Team to compete for what we believe is the very first time. That team of 5 youth singers did well enough to place in the top 10 in the nation!

Other information on drumming and dancing, including information about crafting regalia and rules for dance contests, can be downloaded here.