Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance

Gr 5 Up--Pheasant-Neganigwane, a lifelong Anishinaabe competitive powwow dancer and educator, summarizes the basics of powwow culture through a series of sections highlighting its origins, current elements, songs and dances, and regional differences across Canada and the United States. The author clearly explains the origins of the powwow within colonization, as well as its evolution and growing popularity. Sidebars describe different elements of the powwow, supplementing the main text, while other pullout sections provide directions for popular First Nations recipes. A range of high-quality, black-and-white photographs from different powwows also supplement the text. A glossary and an index are included in the back matter. The book is clearly organized and educational--an incredibly useful tool for both school and public libraries. Readers will enjoy learning about current powwows as well as their rich history within Indigenous culture. VERDICT This comprehensive primer of the history and importance of the powwow in North American Indigenous culture is a necessary purchase.--Kelsey Socha, Springfield City Library, MA