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THE POW WOW CIRCLE

In the 1970's, I don't know much about the pow wow. I don't understand the regalias and dances. My interests were mostly confined in singing with a group of Filipino singers and going to parties and dances every weekend. I felt that I was not accomplishing anything at all staying up late and hanging out with friends. I felt like if I weed my friends, there will be one or two left. I felt that I have to spend too much money to keep up.

In 1995, I decided to join the pow wow circle as a vendor. There were traditional pow wows and hobbyists pow wow. Don't underestimate the hobbyist pow wow because they're the ones with the most tipis and beaded regalias and had been established for more than 50 years. There are Indian traditional pow wow which strictly allow Native Americans with credentials to join. As a Filipina married to a Native American, I have the privilege of being part of Native American pow wow.

What struck me is that Native women are very down to earth no matter how rich they are. They are not as vain and fragile as some Filipina women. They put up tent, walk barefooted on muddy soil, carry loads and could adjust to primitive camping.

Furthermore, I established friendships (in the midwest) that are warm and true - No hidden agenda. When my arthritis kept me from holding on to the pipes to raise my tent, they ran to help me. When it got so windy that my tarp got blown by the wind, they never failed me. When I was alone in my booth, they watch my booth when I go to the wash room or eat my meal. There is always someone there.

In 2008, sales has dropped. People were not buying as much. Tom and I set up at the Ho-Chunk sports center in Lynwood, Illinois - June 20 to 22, 2008. Only 8 vendors showed up because of the flooding in the midwest and the high cost of gas. We were happy that we got the no. 1 spot because we paid way ahead of time. I like our set up because we had walkway around our booth. It's a great feeling.

Across us, was Eriacho Arts and Crafts by Tony & Ola Eriacho from Zuni, New Mexico. The front of their booth had signs of warning about Native American items. Tony took the job of policing the 7 vendors of the pow wow.

Friday night, Tony approached Tom (completely ignoring me) and said that he was hired by the Ho Chunk to impose the Native American Arts and Crafts law and we have to remove most of our jewelries because they were not real. He opened all our 13 showcases and took out more than 100 jewelries. He piled them on the showcases and Tom asked me to put them away. I wanted to confront Tony because first of all, he was invading my space, invading my turf because Chicago is my hometown. I paid $300 for the booth space for the weekend and I am the president of my company. I wanted to get mad at Tom for being subservient to this person. If that's the case, Tom and I would just fight and that's what Tony wanted to happen. I wanted to cry because I was so angry. In order to make peace, I complied. I gathered all the rejected jewelries and because they were in boxes, most fell on the floor and scattered all over my booth. The prices that I delicately placed on the boxes for many days were all scattered on the floor. Patiently, I picked them all one by one till I fill a large tote bag. I'm now faced with the task of starting over. I hope I could remember which price go with each jewelry. Tony is Zuni but he discarded all my Zuni jewelries. Being a Christian, I hope this won't happen to anybody.

Tony didn't like opals, overly polished and cast jewelries. I and Tom went to jewelry school in Chicago to cast jewelries through lost wax casting in a tree. Thomas' late brother-in-law, Sam Begay III cast lots of jewelry the old fashioned way. I helped with the casting in the 1970's. He would buy silver nuggets and melt them with a torch on a ladle. Then, he would pour them into an slit opening of 2 sandstones put together with rubber bands. The designs we got from Raymond Warner, Sam Begay III's uncle. Raymond had a houseful of sandstones with original designs. He had more than a dozen children but no one wanted to follow his footsteps as silversmiths. Raymond wanted to take the sandstones with him to his grave. Would you believe that the jewelries that were created by these famous silversmith artisans were discarded by Tony? I sold a set of picture agate necklace and bracelet made by Sam Begay III for $2,000.00. Both of them will rise from the dead and beat up Tony.

Tony removed all of my chief rings. Thomas spent Friday night removing all the opals and cast jewelries. Thomas looked gaunt and haggard that night because of the 3rd degree he suffered. Thomas was sweating profusely. He deserved to be respected as a Navajo elder - 68 years old.

The late Sam Begay III with Cody.

Most of our jewelries we bought from Southwest. Thomas told Tony that we bought them all from Southwest and Tony said that not all Southwest jewelries were real. He wanted us to prove to him who made those jewelries, their names and where they came from. There were hundreds of silversmith in Arizona and New Mexico. I probably met 20 of them but I didn't realize that I need to get their autograph to sell their wares. I'm not so good with names. I know Dilbert Jasper, Pamela Benally, Juliana Williams, Thomas Lowe, Tommy Singer, Raymond Warner, Sam Begay III, Eva Bitone, etc. But I didn't realized that I have to use these informations to someone who is judge and jury. He removed 4 sets of spiny oyster jewelries inlaid with onyx and turquoise because he said that the turquoise was blocked in spite of the fact that Navajos made them. Thomas said that he even bought from the Pueblos and Tony didn't know what to say because he is Pueblo. Pueblo uses lots of blocked stones in their heishis and jewelries.

Tony didn't touch my beadworks because it is obvious that I have one of the best - mostly size 13 to 15 cut glass beads. I got approached by his crew twice and ask me if I make all the beadwork, if not they wanted to know who made them and how they could contact the beader. My response was, "If I tell you, I'll kill you first."

I felt abused, trampled, humiliated, disrespected and violated. I felt I lost my business that Friday night. My business was all in shambles.

We asked the rest of the 6 vendors if Tony checked them out. A Ho Chuck vendor said that he was asked to remove some kid's jewelries because they were plastic. He said that he wanted to take items that kids could afford - like $1.00.

One guy had to remove his cast rings and some necklaces he made with his daughter who was half-white.

He argued with our friend Greg about the flint and arrowhead necklaces that he made because he's white. Greg said that his children, who were half-Navajos helped him make the arrowhead necklaces.

A Navajo woman next to Tony had liquid silver jewelries and she was asked to remove all her jewelries. She said that she cannot remove her jewelries because they are all she got and she still has to make booth money and other expenses. In Morongo pow wow in California, liquid silver were banned because they were not real silver. Very fine, many strands sterling silver liquid silver in the 1960-1970 were popular but they lost their popularity because they were hard to clean. Thus, cheap metal liquid silver that were larger were used to make cheap jewelries by the Navajos.

The vendor next to us has feathers and dolls made in China but Tony can't touch them. They are Ho Chunk.

All the vendors said that Tony will get to them Saturday but Tony never did. So, we were singled out. "KILL THE COMPETITION."

I wanted to make a fuss, close shop, tear down and leave but Thomas wanted to stay because of all the trouble we've been through. Thomas is the Native American and I'm not. I felt like I have no say. I became invisible.

I dread the rest of the pow wow. I scrambled to look for extra jewelries that might be ok but all Tony, Ola and their crew did was watch us like hawks. One young man came to our booth and interrupted my sales by demanding to see a Zuni gaspeite inlay earrings. He went back with 2 of his friends (they all looked like they came from Southwest because of their sunburn and strain of hard life in their faces) and pointed out that some of my bracelets were plastic. Soon Tony, came and told Tom to put away my nice gaspeite Zuni earrings. Tom complied again. Tony didn't ask us to remove our bracelets because he had some of them. We have a whole display case full of bracelets. Tony was busy Saturday and Sunday educating people about the danger of buying misrepresented jewelries. One lady come to me giving me the 3rd degree and asking if my beads came from China and asking who made the jewelries. In the end she bought from me.

I heard Tony said to his captive audience that he got the real stuff. I think this would give him the ability to jack up the price. I heard people saying at us "they were asked to put their stuff away."

In spite of all the impediments, people bought from me and they bought 3 times as much as the first time I set up in Lynwood. I wonder if they felt sorry for me. Was it because I was wearing my Ebay Powerseller - minniegoat(415) shirt?

Maybe they have eyes to see that I have items of value. In the end, buyers dictate.

In 14 years, something bad has to happen with the good. Now I know why Tony was giving me those evil and menacing look!

I agree that there should be some policing of vendors selling Native American jewelries. Navajos are getting poorer and poorer because of the rising cost of gas and silver. Peter Seir quit making jewelries because he cannot afford silver anymore. We have to be lenient to Native Americans who are trying to make both ends meet. I and Tom had to choose between the high booth fees, gas, medicine and grocery. We decided not to buy grocery in the meantime and try to make money later on.

We traveled 3,000 miles roundtrip to Southwest from Chicago, just to comply with the Native American rules. We don't have a single jewelry or beadwork made in China in our booth. Instead of being appreciated for our efforts, we were persecuted. What happened to us would put another vendor out of business. Luckily, the other six vendors need to put away 10 to 20 items not hundreds.

MY LIFELINES

When I was growing up, my parents were my lifeline. When my parents died, my sisters were my lifeline. When I migrated to America in 1971, jobs were my lifeline. When I got married, 2 incomes were my lifeline. I struggled through the hard times. When I lost my job, I felt like the whole world fell on me. I can't go shopping and I can't even leave a few dollars tip to the waitress at the restaurant. Unemployment checks then became my lifeline. I tried to sell real estate for a few years but that business wasn't cut out for me. So, I decided to paint Native American pictures and sew Navajo skirts to sell at the pow wows. To my surprise, my original paintings sold between $75 to $500. My Navajo skirts sold between $25 to $60. Wow!! I used to paint and give them away and they were either trashed or used to adorn the toilet. Excited about the possibility that I might do something to ease my financial burdens, I decided to make buckskin regalias. They sold from $125 to $2,000. My sincerest and heartfelt thanks to Ira, Eva and the many Native Americans and white folks at the casinos and pow wows. Yes, the Native American casinos and pow wows are my lifeline.

When I reached 62, Social Security was added as my lifeline plus the Disability Social Security of my husband, Thomas.

With my business setup, I decided to go on Ebay. I bought junks. I almost threw up sometimes. Some of the items I bought I gave away to Salvation Army. Later on, I found out that there are lots of items of value on Ebay. That people will appreciate me if I sell items of value. To date, I added Ebay as my lifeline. Ebay helped me lived through the winter months. My powerseller designation could easily be stripped if a fall behind in sales or if I go below 98% on feedback. Right now, buyers have the upper hand and cannot receive negative feedback. I agree that customers are always right. Sellers now are sitting ducks that some buyers with bad intentions could just throw in a neutral or negative feedback and completely ruin a seller. Just recently, a buyer didn't like the items he received from me. The reason was that the beads were not the same colors as in the picture. The item was only $2.99. I offered to take back the item and issue a refund. The buyer told me that it's an ordeal for him to go to the post office and might as well keep the item. I pictured him as invalid and decided to offer to send him another set of beads at my expense. I got the beads prepared for shipping when I noticed that the buyer didn't even give me a feedback after I left a positive feedback for him. After 3 weeks, he said that he was ready to give me a feedback but he hasn't received the free items I promised. I replied that I was waiting for the courtesy of his feedback. Being a merchant, I don't think it is to my best interest to send a free item to a buyer out of the goodness of my heart who left me a neutral feedback.

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