Autumnal Powwow

We attended a very cool, FREE local field trip yesterday - a Native American Powwow.  Although it seemed disorganized to start (not knowing where to park or who our tour guide was going to be), we had a great morning and afternoon. 

Our first stop was to see birds of prey.


A Red - Tailed Hawk

Hawks don't have their red tail feathers until they are over one year old.  They have very good eyesight (although this one is blind in one eye.  That's why this man keeps the birds he does - they are injured and cannot live in the wild anymore.)  You have to have a special permit to have a hawk or even a hawk feather!


American Kestrel (or what Hoosiers call Sparrow Hawks)


Great Horned Owl

He did owl calls from a Screech Owl, a Barred Owl and a Great Horned Owl.  Owls also have very good eyesight.  Their eye balls are actually as large as ours, but their bodies are much smaller.  In comparison, our eyes would need to be the size of softballs or grapefruit to have the same ratio.


Harris' Hawk

We got to watch this one fly.  Very cool!


Paragrine Falcon

We learned the difference between falcon and hawk wings are that falcon wings are more streamlined and pointed for fast diving to grab their food.  Hawk wings are wider for soaring.

Our next stop was listening to Native American flute music.



This Native American woman, Rose, showed us several Native American items and how they are used.  It was great that she encouraged the kids to touch everything, something they were discouraged from doing early in the day.





And her Teepee.



Our next stop was watching and eventually learning a Native American dance - the Powwow.  There were 3 drummers on one drum playing the dance music.  They first had their grand entrance, then 2 of the younger Native Americans taught us how to dance.  Then we got our chance to go inside the dance circle.







Our last stop of the day was a bow and arrow and spear demonstration from Longbow Woman.  She used the bow and arrow to kill a deer, bear and buffalo (targets).





So this afternoon, after school was done (the day after this field trip), the boys were outside shooting at boxes with their bow and arrows.  And tomorrow they will be going to a kids program to learn more about safety of the bow and arrow with their cousins and grandparents while we are at a couple's retreat.