We want candy:  an editorial in Lyndon Independent from August 9, 2000

There is a lesson to be learned in children's games.

This weekend, at the Annual Intertribal Abenaki Pow-Wow held on the Clan of the Hawk grounds In Evansville, participants and spectators were treated to a special dance: The Candy Dance.

The Candy Dance is a children's game.  Children of all ages entered the dance circle and .eagerly awaited
Instruction. Four "ugly Men" were Chosen to watch over the children. These men were both enforcers of the rules and tricksters.

The leader of the dance explained the rules -the children were to dance around the circle to the beat of the drum, when the drum stopped, they could gather up as much of the candy that had been strewn about as they wanted but when the drum started again, they had to drop it and keep dancing around the circle. When it was all over they could keep whatever candy they had in their hands but they had to share with each other. Bobbing up and down In anticipation of the dancing, and of course, the candy, the children readily accepted the rules.  When the drumming started, they were off. They stopped to frantically gather candy when the drum paused, only to toss it down as the drum started again.

What started out as an Abenaki song to accompany the drum, became a melodious "We want CANdy, we want canDYt"  Over and over the children were forced to abandon their fistfuls of candy as the music stopped and started. The drummer kept teasing them, pretending the game was over and then starting up again and again.

A few clever children left their candy In neat piles each time they were forced to relinquish it, retumil1g to the same spots each time the drumming stopped to add to the piles and hope that this stop would be their last. But the tricksters would have none of that, and they scattered the piles with delight.  Watching the excited youths dance around, alternating between glee and frustration, was amusing but also thought provoking.

Once the dance finished, everyone shared with each other and even with the tricksters.

But this wasn't just a sugary treat for1he children attending the Pow-Wow, valuable lessons were being taught 8$ welt. On the surface, it was a lesson in sharing. But deeper than that was the lesson of never taking what you have
for granted.  

Sometimes the most important lessons In life are the ones we learn in play .

J.M.H.