El Pow Wow del Distrito Rainier en Seattle fue fundado en 1934 como un picnic comunitario de un día de duración destinado a elevar los ánimos y fomentar la cohesión en medio de la Gran Depresión. Tal como su primo, el Potlatch del centro de Seattle, el evento incluía elementos de comercialización, orgullo cívico, diversiones para la familia, e interpretaciones erróneas de la cultura indígena. El Potlatch finalizó en 1941, cuando los Estados Unidos entraron en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, pero el Pow Wow continuó hasta 1992, como un espejo que reflejaba el cambiante rostro de la comunidad y del mundo a su alrededor. Nacido en tiempos difíciles, el festival fomentó la actividad de los comerciantes locales en la década del 30; impulsó los temas militares y el patriotismo en la década del 40; agregó un concurso de “la familia más grande" durante el Baby Boom de la década del 50; e incluyó una "Batalla de las Bandas" en la década del 60. Los concursos de belleza en traje de baño se eliminaron en respuesta a las quejas de feministas en la década del 70. La reina y las princesas del Pow Wow ya habían desaparecido para fines de la década del 80. La última vez que se celebró el Pow Wow, en julio de 1991, el programa incluía un concurso de niños imitando temas de éxito junto con una atracción llamada "Karaoke video self-entertainment". Pasando de una metamorfosis a otra, el Pow Wow continuó siendo un evento trascendente del verano para generaciones de residentes de South Seattle.
Pow Wow del Distrito Rainier (1934-1992)
- By Cassandra Tate
- Posted 9/03/2010
- HistoryLink.org Essay 9526
Sources:
HistoryLink.org Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, "Seattle’s Potlatch Bug" (by Lorraine McConaghy), http://www.historylink.org/ (accessed August 2004); "Picnic Is Planned for Southeast," Rainier District Times, May 3, 1934, p. 1; "Date Changed on All Southeast Picnic to July 15," Ibid., June 7, 1934, p. 1; "Local Picnic Prize Races Are Postponed," Ibid., July 19, 1934, p. 1; "South End Clubs Will Sponsor Picnic Sunday," Beacon Hill News, July 13, 1934, p. 1; "Pow-Wow Plans To Be Discussed at Outdoor Dinner," Rainier Valley Times, July 4, 1935, p. 1; "Grand Picnic For Community," Beacon Hill News, July 5, 1935, p. 1; "Outboards To Be Feature Of Pow-Wow," Rainier Valley Times, July 18, 1935, p. 1; "Rainier-Beacon Pow-Wow All Set with Free Coffee, Prizes and Boat Races," Ibid., August 1, 1935, p. 1; "Beacon-R.V. Pow-Wow All Set For Aug. 2," Ibid., July 16, 1936, p. 1; "Nag Race Will Be Highlight of Picnic Sunday,"Ibid., July 30, 1936, p. 1; "Prize Winners in Pow-Wow Contest Asked To Come Forward for Prizes,"Ibid., August 6, 1936, p. 1; Gregory Roberts, "John L. O’Brien, 1911-2007," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 22, 2007 (www.newsource.com); Dick Lilly, "O’Brien, in Office Since ’39, Faces Challenge," The Seattle Times, September 6, 1990 (www.newsource.com); 1942 Pow Wow Program, John O’Brien Collection, Box 2, Rainier Valley Historical Society, Seattle; L. Myron Lindblom to Rainier Business Men’s Club, May 11, 1949, John O’Brien Collection, Box 2; Jack Steen to John O’Brien, April 19, 1957, John O’Brien Collection; "Ugh! Him Like Hot Dog," Seattle Star, August 4, 1946; Charles E. Brown, "Rainier’s Summer Pow Wow at the Shore -- Traditional Gathering Celebrated for 57th Year," The Seattle Times, June 30, 1990 (http://www.newsource.com/); Paul Talbert, email to Cassandra Tate, October 28, 2011, in possession of Cassandra Tate, Seattle.
Note: This essay was corrected and revised slightly on October 29, 2011.
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