Penn State Public Media - As Long As We Dance: The New Faces of an Ancient People Traditional American Indian Powwow

Photo credit Henry Gong

The Arena

The circle is very important to American Indian peoples. Creation is a circle, the Sacred Hoop, never ending, constantly renewing. The center of the hoop is the center of Creation. All Creation moves in a circle, divided into four related parts (four seasons, four directions, four races, four beings (two-legged, four-legged, winged, swimmers)). The Dance Arena is a sacred circle, and within that circle all things exist and are equal. As they dance, the dancers in the Arena create a circle, which represents the sacred circle of life and gives testimony to the Creator and to the ancestors that they carry the traditional ways in their hearts.