I have been to some powwows and I hear of other tribes claiming our song [as their songs]. They have their own stories; they are just trying to create their own glory or something. I kind of appreciate and respect them for trying to get a little bit of glory and all that but if it is wrong, it is not right. I should write that down, that sounded all right there. I know this is all true because my great grandfather was in that battle and those other guys I know, I don’t think they can vouch for that. During one of our battles when the guns, cavalry were shooting those cannons at the guys, the guys would holler and wave at them and those cannons would go off and they would duck down or dive for cover or take off and go somewhere else and pop up again and holler and wave at them and make them turn the cannon and shoot that way, duck down again and dive and go the other way. They were making them waste their ammo, making those guys lose their balls. That is one way of saying that they wanted to win the war.

The other thing that is really important and significant in that battle is when my great grandfather was involved with, I don’t know how many other guys it took but they helped steal or overtake the guys and push one of these cannons over the hill, down the mountainside. That makes me pretty proud. So when we have that duck and dive contest or that song it is not only that I really like it, but it seems like it is pretty popular not only our people, but it is getting popular among other tribes, too.

As much as I like it and as much as I respect it there is one question mark that I have about the use of a song, that is in a sense sacred, for contests. I really enjoy dancing to it and I know everybody else does and the crowds they all stand because they really enjoy. They feel the power of that song when we are out there dancing. In that respect I guess it is good but it my own mind I just wonder if it almost like sacrilegious using a sacred song for contests that involves competition and money and things like that. That is my own personal question mark I have. Anyways, back to the basics of that song. That is why it is so important because it represented that battle.