Robert Soto - Counting The Cost

My name is Robert Soto and I am from the Lipan Apache Band of Texas. I started going to pow wows back in 1967. At that time I was just learning about my "Indianness" and about the pow wows. It did not take long before I was on the pow wow circuit going to whatever pow wows I could afford. In 1970 our family founded the South Texas Indian Dancers, an organization dedicated to helping preserve our Indian culture through dancing and singing. Soon after, we started our drum which today is called the Huisache Creek Singers. Huisache is pronounced "Weesash." We, my brother Ruben and I, have kept the drum going for 30 years. Our family has put on pow wows now for 30 years. Most of our earlier pow wows were small, family pow wows. In the past 13 years our pow wows have gotten more complicated and larger and we opened them to all Native people to come and enjoy. In the past 13 years I have administrated and put on over 40 pow wows. Also in the last 13 years, I have raised a little over $120,000 for about 20 pow wows at an average cost of about $5,000 - $6,000 per pow wow. So if anyone knows the headaches of putting on pow wows, it is me. I do not claim to be an expert on pow wows. I have gotten my cussing-out several times by people who do not agree with me or who do things a little differently.

I am asked to be head man dancer or head gourd dancer an average of five times a year. In addition, my children are also asked to be head man or lady dancer several times each year. Our drum is asked to drum quite often, but because we like dancing more than singing, and because most of our people are Christians, we only accept the pow wows that will have more than one drum so we can drum and dance on Saturday and still be back home for church on Sunday.

It was about two and half years ago that I was introduced to the Christian
world of Native people trying to dance, sing and put on pow wows or pow wow-type events. For most of you, the pow wow is a new thing and you are slowly learning the proper way of putting them on. I had not run into any trouble within the pow wow world until I got involved with the Christian pow wow scene. I would like to offer some advice to any of you who plan to put on such events in the future when it comes to hiring a head staff or drum.

First of all, it is important to count the cost before you invite a person to
be on your head staff or before you invite a drum to drum for you. I would
like to suggest that before you invite anyone to drum for you or to be on your head staff that you do your homework and determine how far this person will have to travel and how much you will be able to offer them to get to your event. For most Indian people, the honor of being asked is more important than the cost. I have gone to pow wows where I have gone broke to get there, but I felt that my presence was more important than the cost.

Secondly, be ready to give them an offer before you even ask them to come. Be honest with them and if what you have set aside for the position is all you can give, let them know. Never ask them to give you an estimate of what it will take to get them there unless you can meet their estimate or are ready and able to negotiate. If the offer is more than you can handle, give them a response as soon as you can. Tell them when you will call them back with the offer and make sure you call them when you promised to call.

Thirdly, be fair with the person. While I said that most people would come
for the privilege of being on your head staff, they also have expenses. The reason I give this advice is because in the last year or so, since I have gotten involved with the Christian pow wow movement, good Christian people have called me to be on their head staff or to drum for them who have failed to do their homework. Most of our dancers and singers are Christians, but have been brought up doing things the right way. They find it difficult to accept that just because we are Christians that things do not have to be done in a respectable and right way. This includes the way we build our regalia, use our outfits and the way we dance. So many people put a feather on their head and start jumping up and down like the Hollywood Indians. One needs to do their homework before they enter into the circle and learn to do things the right way. More damage has been done for the name of Christ because people who mean well have not done their homework. In many pow wows these people are known as "road kills" and are usually laughed at or mocked.

I have much more to say, but because of time I will stop now. God bless you.

In Christ,

Robert Soto