INTERNATIONAL MUSIC AND FOOD FAIR

YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THIS FAIR IN SEBASTOPOL. THERE WERE VERY FEW FOLKS THERE WHEN IT FIRST STARTED AND THERE WAS POURING RAIN. THIS FIRST ACT WAS ABOUT 6 BELLY DANCERS WHO HAD LOTS OF JEWELRY ON AND CLAPPERS IN THEIR HANDS. THE DANCED TO SOME INDIAN MUSIC AND HAD MUCH MAKE UP ON AS WELL AS TATTOOS. THE DANCED TWICE THAT NIGHT, THE NEXT ACT WAS A GROUP OF FOUR FOLKS WHO PLAYED BEAUTIFUL PERUVIAN MUSIC WITH PAN PIPES, FLUTES, A SMALL GUITAR, AND HAND HELD DRUMS. THEY SANG IN PERUVIAN LANGUAGE.

FOLLOWING THIS GROUP WAS A MAN WHO HAD LEARNED TO PLAY THE DIDGERIDOO FROM AUSTRALIA. HE HAD PLAYED AT MY CHURCH BEFORE. HE PLAYED VERY RAPIDLY AND HAD MANY CYMBALS AND DRUMS AS WELL. IT LOOKED AS IF IT TOOK A LOT OF HEAVY BREATHING TO PLAY THIS INSTRUMENT. IT IS A STRANGE SOUNDING ONE. THEN THERE WERE NORWEGIAN SINGERS AND MUSICIANS WHO PLAYED A FIDDLE, AN ACCORDION, AND A DRUM AND RATTLES. THEY PLAYED AND SANG CELTIC MUSIC FOR ABOUT A HALF OF AN HOUR.

THE NEXT GROUP WERE THE KASHIA POMO DANCERS AND SINGERS. THEIR WERE FOUR SINGERS WHO HAD CLAPPERS IN THE HANDS PROBABLY MADE OUT OF ELDERBERRY TREE LIMBS. THEY SAID TO SAY "OH" AFTER EACH DANCE WHICH MEANS YOU APPRECIATE THE DANCERS AND SINGERS. AND SO WE DID. THERE WERE ABOUT 30 DANCERS- HALF MALE AND HALF FEMALE. THE WOMEN WERE DRESSESD WITH LONG BILLOWY SKIRTS OF COTTON AND THEIR BLOUSE WAS LIKE A CAPE THAT WAS HAND MADE OF COTTON. ONE YOUNG DANCER DANCED WITH HER YOUNG BABY GIRL. THE WOMEN HAD DIFFERENT ORNAMENT ON THEIR HEAD. SOME HAD FUR OF FOX OR MINK WITH SOME HAND MADE BEAD WORK HANGING OVER THEIR EYES. MANY OF THE WOMEN HAD ABALONE SHELL BEAD NECKLACES WITH ELABORATE SHELLS FROM THE OCEAN. ALL OF THE DANCERS WERE BARE FOOT. ONE LARGE LADY HAD A HEADDRESS MADE OF TURKEY AND EAGLE FEATHERS THAT STOOD STRAIGHT UP AND MADE HER LOOK TALL. SOME OF THE LADIES HAD SMALL HEAD FEATHERS MADE OF SMALL GLASS BEADS AND SMALL TURKEY FEATHERS. THEY HELD A SMALL SCARF AND DANCED BY GOING AROUND IN A CIRCLE. THE MEN WORE ONLY LARGE PAINTED BELTS AND SHORTS OVER WHICH THEY ALL HAD A SKIRT MADE OF MANY DIFFERENT FEATHERS. THE FEATHERS WERE FROM MOSTLY TURKEYS AND SOME WERE FROM RED TAILED HAWK. THEY HAD BARE CHESTS BUT HAD SOME KIND OF HAND PAINTED LEATHER BRACELETS. THEY HAD MORE ELABORATE HEADDRESSES MADE OF FLICKER FEATHERS ACROSS THEIR EYES. THESE DANCERS HAVE HAD THIS TRADITIONAL COSTUMES FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES. EVEN THE CLAPPERS ARE WRITTEN UP IN ETHNOGRAPHIC NOTES. THEIR HEADDRESSES INCLUDED PUTTING SOME OF THEIR HAIR IN A NET AND FASTENING ABOVE THE FLICKER EYE PIECE A GROUP OF STICKS HOLDING VARIOUS BIRD FEATHERS- PROBABLY TURKEY AND SMALL WHITE TURKEY FEATHERS. THEY DANCED RHYTHMICALLY TO THE CLAPPERS AND THEIR MOTIONS WERE INDICATIVE OF BIRDS. THEY KEPT THIS UP FOR ALMOST AN HOUR! THE DANCING IS A CEREMONIAL TASK AS WELL AS THE SINGING. THEY ARE SYMBOLICALLY BIRDS AS A MEDIUM BETWEEN EARTH AND THEIR CREATOR IN THE SKY. BIRDS ARE THOUGHT OF AS SPECIAL CREATURES WHO ARE BENEFICIAL MESSENGERS IN MANY TRIBES. WE ALL ENJOYED THEIR DANCING. AFTERWARDS I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THEM AND MANY SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO MAKE ACORN SOUP BUT THEY HAD TASTED IT. THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THEIR ABORIGINAL HISTORY, AND SAID THEIR MEDICINE WOMEN DO NOT COME OUT IN PUBLIC.. THEY ALSO HAD NOT KNOWN ABOUT HOW TO COOK BUCKEYES OR TARWEED, OR CLOVER..