The morning of Feb. 8 started out cloudy, gray and cold, but gave way to a beautiful day. By the afternoon, the sky was clear, the sun was shining and a north breeze kept temperatures in the upper 40s for Wak’o Owatsi.
“Wak’o Owatsi” means “Women’s Dance” in Osage. According to the Wak’o Owatsi website, the dance honors “our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunties, and other women who have made an impact in our lives and need healing in our ways.”
Osage women dressed in traditional dress or wrapped thick Pendleton blankets around them in the chilly weather and danced around the drum under the Pawhuska arbor.
The drum has an important role in Osage culture.
“My grandmother, Lenora Morell Shannon Hamilton, said, ‘go around that drum. That drum will heal you,’” said Margaret Sisk.
The dance is to honor Osage women and girls and to provide a safe place for them to feel welcome. The dance aims to create community and to empower. The dance was also founded to heal the community after Margaret’s daughter Blake passed in 2017.
Margaret remembers Blake as someone who loved people and lifted up other women.
“Blake loved everybody, and she grew up in our community,” she said. “And Blake just made everybody feel loved.”
A few weeks after Blake’s passing, Margaret’s cousin, Dr. Moira Redcorn, checked in on her. During the visit, Wak’o Owatsi was discussed. The idea of having a dinner, dance or something to honor Blake and bring Osage women together was brought up.
“I didn’t even know if I could make it,” Margaret said. “‘I didn’t know, in a year if I could even show up.’”
Redcorn decided to take action and got a group of Osage women together and they formed an organization. As the group started meeting, Wak’o Owatsi came to fruition during the community and the family’s time of need.
The first Wak’o Owatsi was held in 2018, one year after Blake’s passing.
“They came together and made decisions to help each other and to always be there for our young Osage girls,” Margaret said. “Especially those that aren’t living in our community any longer and feel alone. The thought behind it, the bottom line was for Osage women to support Osage girls.”
Every February, Osage men and women come from all over the country to support and attend Wak’o Owatsi.
Osage tribal member Brooke Smiley is on the committee for Wak’o Owatsi and travels from California to attend each year.
“It means so much to be welcomed back and it means so much to learn and work with Osage women,” she said. “Because growing up separate from there, I love that I get to learn about other important Osage women and some of that history comes out during the dance. The whole purpose and meaning behind the dance just really speaks to me, and I’m so grateful that there are many people in the community that want to celebrate Osage women and two spirits.”
Osage men volunteered to set the tables for 250 people and make the dinner. During the first years of the dance the men were Blake’s close friends. Preparations for the meals start four days before the dance. This year, the men prepared around 200 pounds of meat.
“It’s an all-day process,” said Osage chef Brian Lookout. “Saturday’s the longest day, of course, but we had about eight people. It took the load off when we had that many people, so it’s not that much to do. And everybody’s got their own little project to do.”
Lookout is honored to be a part of Wak’o Owatsi.
“We remember and honor all of our great Osage women,” he said.
Dr. Robert Warrior, the acting interim president and head cook for the Wak’o Owatsi, explained the meaning behind men preparing and serving the meals.
“I think it is still very important that we have men in the kitchen who are cooking,” he said. “That’s who is back there preparing the meal, that we’re the ones who are not at the dance. We want to make sure that every woman who wants to, and who would want to be part of this dance that honors them, that they can go to it.”
Warrior, who has three daughters and a son, talked about the importance of having women leaders within Osage society.
“We wanted to provide within this context as well, visible public roles of women who are leading things,” he said. “We’ve asked, the organization has asked Osage women to lead prayers and to be the emcees during the dance so that people can hear the voices of women leading us and being in charge. I think that’s an important way to model to younger people what that feels like and what that sounds like. So they can see themselves in those sorts of leadership positions in our community. And I really value that as a father.”
On the day of the dance the women and girls helped each other dress and danced. The drum was made by Rock Pipestem, whose children were friends with Blake.
“I think it allows us to feel a connection to each other and our value in community in a way that doesn’t happen throughout the rest of the year,” Smiley said. “This event is really unique; the whole history of the dance, the making of the drum for this dance and that women get to dance right next to the drum, I really respond to that. My body really responds to being close to the drum.”
The singers sit around the drum to sing traditional songs that instill peace and healing within each woman that participates in the dance.
“It’s just pure joy and everyone’s happy and laughing,” Margaret said. “We have two women that are the emcees, and it’s not a powwow contest. There’s no head lady or head man. There’s no special song for a giveaway that stops the drum. It’s just pure dancing. It’s just a two-hour dance. Women get to dance.”
Traci Phillips, the secretary for Wak’o Owatsi gave insight on what the drum does for her.
“It’s the heartbeat of life,” she said. “It is hard to explain, but once you start, I think being around it, whether you grew up that way or you’re coming back, it becomes a part of you. It’s the heartbeat.”
Margaret is thankful for the support from Osage men and women involved with Wak’o Owatsi because it keeps Blake’s memory alive.
“It started because of Blake, and it continues because of our strong Osage women.”
