OKE - OWEENGE "Cloud Dance Songs - 1" (Recorded at San Juan Pueblo 1972)

All six of the 1972 songs.
(Recorded at San Juan Pueblo, February 27, 1972)

SINGERS:
Joe M. Abeyta
Cipriano Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Peter Garcia
Carpio Trujillo
John R. Trujillo

The Tewa name for San Juan Pueblo is Oke-Oweenge, village of the Okeng people.
The Tewa name of the pueblo means "place of the strong people".


The cloud dance, called 'pogonshare' (pumpkin or gourd dance) or 'powinshare', derives its English name from the feathered headdresses of the ladies, the feathers representing clouds, and the red angora fibres
symbolizing the sun's rays. The dance represents the coming of spring, and getting ready for planting. The dancers come out four times during the day, a different pair of ladies dancing each time, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. The first ladies carry ears of blue corn, wrapped in evergreen.
The second ladies carry yellow corn, the third carry red corn, and the fourth carry white corn, all wrapped in evergreen.
Six new songs must be composed each year that the cloud dance is performed. There are four dance songs, and two 'wasa', songs for a weaving type entrance into the three plazas on the first and fourth dances. Sometimes an old tune or rhythm might be used, but the words are newly composed.