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the eagle staff is brought into the area, powwow etiquette requires spectators to stand and remove their hats in respect. Wacipi are open to visitors, but everyone attending should follow proper etiquette.
• "Veterans have an integral part in powwows as they are honored by leading the dancers into the arena," said Francis Whitebird of Saint Francis, an Indian educator and former director of the South Dakota Office of Tribal Relations. 
• Once all the dancers are in the dance arena and while the spectators are still standing, the flags are raised and the flag song is sung. This is followed by a veterans honoring song.
• The master of ceremonies is the voice of the wacipi. This person keeps the singers, dancers and the general public informed as to what is happening.
• The oldest form of dancing is the traditional dance. The men danced in the middle of the dance arena and the women stood on the side, according to Whitebird.
• "In the mid to late 1950s, the shawl dance for women and the fancy dance for the men made their appearance in Lakota country. The women joined the men and danced in the middle of the dance area," he said.
• The men's northern traditional style of dance was a form of storytelling in which each warrior acted out deeds committed during a battle or hunt.
• Men's fancy dance is the most contemporary style of dance. It is the most strenuous and athletic of the dances. The dance is fast and features jumps and twirling. The regalia is said to represent the rainbow spirits with its bright colors and flying feathers and ribbon.

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