“BATTLE OF THE PLAINS” COMPETITION
The Battle of the Plains committee is officially inviting your JOM and/or Title VII Indian Education Pow-wow dancers to participate in our youth dance competition, Battle of the Plains. What is the Battle of the Plains? It is a youth dance competition between JOM/Indian Education students from different areas. It was first formed to be a dance contest between Operation Eagle dancers of Bartlesville, OK, the New Dawn Dancers of Lawrence, KS, and the Royal Valley/Prairie Band Pottawatomie dancers of Mayetta, KS. Over the years, we have had a great response, and other schools have decided to join the competition. The committee wants to invite all JOM and/or Indian Education Groups to attend the “2013 Battle of the Plains”. The Battle of the Plains is specifically designed to showcase our Native American youth. Three different age categories ensure our young dancers will not be competing against someone twice their age, as is the case at most pow-wows.
How does the Battle of the Plains work? Each dancer will register and compete in his/her age group and dance category. When a dancer places 1st, 2nd or 3rd, their dance group or school will receive points. The school or group with the most accumulated points will be crowned the winner. All dancers will receive a monetary gift and a participation ribbon. All dancers who place will receive ribbons. Each dancer will receive something so nobody goes away empty-handed, as is the case at most pow-wows.
Even though the winning group is the one who receives the big trophy the committee wants to emphasize that this is not just a group competition. Even if you have just one dancer or a handful of dancers, we invite and welcome all JOM and/or Title VII students to participate. Each dancer who wins their category can lay claim to being the best on the plains. So come,represent your school, represent your tribe, or represent yourself and see if you are the best on the plains of Oklahoma,at Battle of the Plains 2013.Save the date, January 26, 2013, 1 pm to 7 p.m. at the DeweyFairBuilding, Dewey, OK. For more information please call Monica Britt ext. 1631 or Leslie Donnellext. 1630 at the JOM/Operation Eagle office at 918-337-0130.Please call no later than December 14, 2012, if your school will be attending.
Some of our groups come from out of state and arrive on Friday evening. In the past we have held a hand game and dance to a DJ. We are still working on entertainment for Friday evening for any of the groups that will be in town on Friday evening. Please call us if your group will be coming to Bartlesville on Friday, January 25, 2013.