Hello everyone, this is Ian Boden your Vice Chief of Ceremonies. I’m going to try and answer all the questions that you may have about ceremonies. So let’s begin.

What do you do as the Vice chief of Ceremonies?

As the Vice Chief of Ceremonies, I handle the preparation of the ceremonies members and the ceremonies sites. At this point and time this does exclude the vigil ceremony. I am the youth in charge of the ceremonies team; dance and drum team also. I do also work with the Vice Chief of Service with the Elangomats. I am also in charge of taking care of all the ceremonies equipment and seeing that it is fixed or replaced.

What is the ceremonies team, and what do they do?

The ceremonies team is a group of O/A members that put on the ceremonies. They are the four principles (Alowat, Nutakit, Metau, and Kitchkanet) in the ceremonies as well as any other part that a ceremony may require. They also set up the ceremony sites and take them down afterwards and store the supplies for the next ceremony. The ceremonies team also competes at the Section Conclave in the pre ordeal, Brotherhood or Vigil ceremony. Looking after the regalia and fixing anything that needs to be fixed is also the team’s responsibility. Being a part of the ceremonies team is one way to be active in the lodge.

Can I join the Ceremonies team?

Most certainly, if you have any interest or questions, please contact me. I will supply my contact information at the end.

What is the dance team, and what do they do?

The dance team is a group of O/A members that perform Native American dancing in the ceremonies and in public. The dance team works with the drum team for most of its functions. The dance team can also compete at NOAC and at a section conclave. In the dance team a member may dance one of six styles; Grass, Traditional, Fancy, Straight, Chicken or group. A member may dance more than one style but it is advised that a member choose one style first. The venture crews in the council are also invited to join. The dance team is one way that you can be active in the lodge. Again if you have any questions regarding the dance team please contact me.

What is the drum team, and what do they do?

The drum team works with the dance team for most functions. Unlike the other teams were there are a lot of regalia involved, the drum team can have relatively simple regalia. The drum team is responsible for the drum. The drum team learns how to drum different dancing beats as well as songs. The drum team will sing. The drum team is one way to be loud, musical, proud, and active in the lodge. If you have any questions or interest in the drum team please feel free to contact me.

Do our ceremonies have any history?

Most certainly. Chickagami 180 had one of the best dance teams in the nation. We also were awesome at Indian events. I don’t know what happened that stopped us from being so awesome but I hope that I can find members in the lodge that have pride in the lodge and will help me with my goal to start building a foundation so that we can bring ceremonies back to its former glory.

Can I contact you?

Everyone in the lodge can contact me. Feel free to. You can contact me thru the website. Email works best for getting hold of me but contact me however you wish.

Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Phone # 1-586-913-3224

Thank you for reading my article I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in Brotherhood,

Ian Boden

The Vice Chief of Ceremonies