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In addition to being a forum for Native singers and dancers, the Social Distance Powwow page has also become a place for people to show their support for a variety of causes, such as the fight to stop the coronavirus outbreak and efforts to combat the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. A young Navajo nurse posted a photo of her and a colleague wearing surgical masks with cartoon images on them, writing “This is the only outfit I’ll be wearing until we eventually run out of it.” An artist shared a painting showing a Native grandmother watching over a young nurse crouching on the ground with her head in her hand. And one video showed a young woman in regalia dancing and signing the words to a musical rendition of the Lord’s Prayer, a performance she dedicated to her great aunt who she said had recently died from the coronavirus. Others have shared their poetry, and some have even begun sharing comedy sketches, such as a faux news report about the coronavirus and a man who pretended to share a sacred song that he said he shouldn’t be sharing that turned out to be an Eagles cover (sorry to ruin the punchline). Videos and photos are being posted from people around the world, including from indigenous peoples in other parts of the world, such as the First Nations people of Canada and the Mayans of Central America.
Michelle Bennett, whose Mi’kmaq name is Mlki E’pit (Resilient Woman), lives in St. George’s, Newfoundland on Canada’s east coast. Last week, she shared a video of herself performing a women’s traditional dance in a community center in St. George’s. “I wanted to share my prayers with all of Turtle Island,” she said. “You can feel the vibrations in the air from it. It’s so healing.” And many people have begun posting their arts and crafts for sale. Simonds said he hopes the page will allow vendors, like himself, who earn money from selling arts, crafts and other souvenirs, to recoup some of the revenue they have lost because of canceled powwows and Native conferences. Spring is typically the start of the powwow season, he said, a time when Native people are awakened from their winter slumber and gather to share their culture and crafts with one another. “I am depressed because my career is based off powwows,” he said. “Vendors like myself, we’ve lost probably $10,000 to $30,000 to $40,000, all depending on what they sell.”#socialdistancepowwow prayed for our elders and vulnerable! Felt good to dance again ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BB0my30VXy
— tsaan na’vi wa’aipe (@stormieperdash) March 23, 2020
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