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UTTC hosts first ‘Rock the Thunderdome’
Opie Day performed a set of hand drum songs before passing four sticks and tobacco to another singer on Dec. 9. Photo credit/ Adrianna Adame
Students connect, end semester with series of round dances
Holding hands while sidestepping in a circle to hand drum songs, students and residents connected with Bismarck’s Native community late into the freezing night of Dec. 9.
More than 70 people came to United Tribes Technical College’s first Rock the Thunderdome in the James Henry Gymnasium — otherwise known as the “Thunderdome” – to celebrate the end of finals and fall semester with a series of round dances, hand drum songs, a variety of contests and potato soup. The school’s Thunder Society, Maza LLC, Sacred Pipe Resource Center and all the student clubs sponsored the celebration.
Ahiticia Tasso, a criminal justice major at UTTC and president of the Thunder Society, a student club focused on embracing culture, got together with a group of student and local organizations to host the event to bring local families and communities together. Originally, the goal was to host the dance around Thanksgiving, but it was postponed due to basketball season.
Fortunately, they were able to hold the event after the last day of finals. “We needed this dance after a tough and harsh semester that everyone was having,” Tasso said.
Opie Day, a well-known touring hand drum singer, first smudged the drums and said a prayer to “begin things right.” He first sang a set of four songs before passing four sticks and tobacco to another singer, so they could sing another four songs of their choosing.
Usually held during fall and winter, round dances are used for social gatherings and community building. While it’s difficult to determine when the first round dance occurred, the tradition originated with the Plains Indians, according to Powwows.com.
The origin of the dance comes from Cree legend, in which a woman who stays with her mother throughout her life experiences indescribable grief after her mother passes.
The daughter’s depressive state causes her mother’s spirit to come back and bring peace with a circle dance, where the living and ancestors come together to surround each other with love and support.
Attendees held hands while moving their feet one step at a time as Day beat the hand drum rhythmically. They traveled in a circle around the room, while men drummed in the center of the circle, standing in formation. Between songs, singer Jermaine Bell acted as MC.
Bell came with his wife from South Dakota as she continued her education at UTTC. He’s been working with Bismarck Public Schools and other local organizations to demonstrate his singing and hand drumming skills to Native youth. While he’s only MC’d events about half a dozen times, he enthusiastically led the event until late at night. The singer encouraged everyone to dance how they saw fit.
“Down here you do it however you’d like to do it,” said Bell. “You cannot hold hands, that’s fine. If you’re holding hands, that’s great. We’re going to dance, regardless –– that’s how we do it down here.”
Saysia Sanchez-Hohenstein won $300 for the soup contest with her creamy potato soup, which fed many attendees. Her mother, Kasa Hohenstein, encouraged the Legacy High School student as she cooked the hot and savory homemade recipe before the contest.
Kasa Hohenstein, a UTTC alumni and graphic design entrepreneur, won the long hair contest amidst the festivities. She often brings her daughters to the tribal college’s cultural events to support the community and take advantage of the activities they offer. “I didn’t know I was going to participate in this event, but I figured I do have long hair and could have some fun,” she said.
Out of seven participants, Kasa won the long hair contest by a millimeter. She credits the state of her sleek and healthy hair to a regimen of fish oil, calcium, vitamin D and multivitamins every day. The key to maintaining her luxurious locks is putting her hair in braids and applying a coconut oil treatment to them at least once a week.
Kasa, pursuing a master’s degree in tribal administration and governance, believes it’s important for Native and non-Native people to come out because it gives the community cultural experiences to fondly look back on.
“This is where we can learn and grow positive relationships with each other,” said Kasa. “It’s even better that it’s a drug and alcohol-free event so we can all create positive memories and create a safe space for our families and children to come and enjoy themselves.”
Hear Opie Day on SoundCloud or from a previous performance featured on PowWow.com’s YouTube page.
Sourcing & Methodology Statement:
https://www.powwows.com/what-is-a-native-american-round-dance-history-music-meaning/
https://www.facebook.com/unitedtribestech
https://uttc.edu/student-life/campus-life/student-clubs/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6aPzSu0v7M
Dateline:
BISMARCK, N.D.