“Everything tries to go in a circle. Everything in Nature. You. Me. Everything.”
– Bill Sutton, Lac Courte Oreilles elder

Boozhoo John,

If you’ve ever been to a Native American pow wow, you’re familiar with the sights and sounds of the gathering: the bustling crowd, the steady sound of the drum song, the colorful regalia of the dancers, and the tempting aroma of piping hot frybread!

Occasionally, you might also notice a young man stepping into the dance arena holding a small hand drum and all alone, he begins to sing. Dancers from the audience – usually women – begin to step forward and the circle starts to grow.

Another round dance is born.

A long time ago, the Round Dance originated within the Plains Native culture [[link removed]], and like most tribal dances, the dance circle bears important significance in form and meaning. The primary intent of the Round Dance is to socialize, strengthen community identities, and bring us together during the winter season.

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Dancers are connected in a circular chain and move in a sidestep [[link removed]]. Here in Wisconsin, dancers connect by holding hands, while others may dance alone. Tribes may have different variations on the dance, but however the dancers come together, a connection occurs and everyone moves in the same direction.

The Round Dance has evolved into a dance of friendship, often with songs about love, love lost, and even humor. As the hand drum beats, so closely emulating the human heartbeat, participants feel that strong and abiding connection between one another as they dance.

That shared heartbeat and community connection is something we are trying to build in our work at Wisconsin Native Vote [[link removed]]. When we join hands and move as one – putting aside our differences while acknowledging our diverse identities – we can make an impact for the future of Native people.

The reason we as Native people must vote is to protect dances and traditions such as these. Only a couple generations ago, these practices were almost stripped away from our people, so we must vote to protect our freedom to teach these traditions to our children.

There is an important primary election coming up on Feb. 21 and the Spring Election on April 4. Pledge to vote to protect the vitality of our people and those sacred circles that sustain us all [[link removed]].

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Miigwech (thank you),
Dee Sweet
Native Vote Manager
Wisconsin Conservation Voices

P.S. There are other ways you can support our work leading up to the Spring Election. Volunteer with our organizers [[link removed]] as they table at community events and call voters – or donate today to help fund these efforts [[link removed]].

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Wisconsin Conservation Voices
133 S. Butler Street Suite 320
Madison, WI 53703
United States
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