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The time frame of when the Jingle Dress originated is about the early 1600s, when Native Americans first had contact with Europeans. Around that time small-pox, tuberculosis, and venereal diseases began to infect the Native Americans. It is said that the silver cones on the Jingle Dress originally came from silver snuff-can lids that fur trappers used and traded with the Anishinaabeg. The cones make a beautiful soft “swishing” noise when the women dance. Other traditional materials were dear-toes/dew claw style, rawhide cones, and cones made of sacred “mishwaabik” or copper.
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Women’s Fancy shawl Dance is the newest form of women’s dance. It is often called the Northern Shawl, because it came from the Northern tribes along the US-Canadian border. Younger women mostly do this dance due to the physical demand on the body. The dance is a free style dance that is similar to the men’s fancy. There are many different stories about the Memengwaanh (Butterfly) dancer.
When watching the women and young girls dancing you can see them mimicking butterflies in flight, with a dance style that is quite graceful and light. The dancers all start off by wrapping the shawl around them, symbolizing the cocoon. As the dance continues the dancers begin to open there arms, stretching their wings like a butterfly. Towards the end of the song they dance using their shawl to represent the new wings of a reborn butterfly.
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Women's Traditional is the oldest type of women's dance. It is sometimes referred to as Straight or Buckskin Dancing, and like Men's Traditional there are many tribal variations, including wearing a buckskin, cloth or wool dress.
There are two different types of regalia, the old style of hide dress and the new style of fabric and ribbon dress. Though few women wear the hide dress today, mostly due to the comfort in hot summer days and the availability of hides. Even though there are different styles of dancing, the women’s feet never completely leave the ground. The reasoning for this is they stay close to mother earth so she can bring them life, and sustain, nourish, and protect that life.
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The Grass Dance originally came from the Central
Plains. The Omaha tribe was one of the first tribes mentioned to have the grass dance. The dance was a gift to a man by a helper spirit while he was on his fast. The head grass dancer wore a crow belt for adornment. The feathers were said to symbolize the war coups or honors received. When they dance they show the movements of the tall grass, blowing in the wind, with long fairly graceful movements, when smoothing down the area. The dancers danced to bring the spirits to the
jiingtamok (powwow)
grounds. This is how the grounds are prepared.
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The fancy dance was made up in the 1920's by a boy from Haskell Indian
School. They were having a dance contest and he had won and they called
it the "Fancy Dance". It started out in Oklahoma and then started
moving to the north and south. They have a song for the dancers to
recognize it. These dancers have to be in good shape to do this too.
The songs are fast paced so it will show the true excitement for the
dance and the regalia.
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Men's Traditional is the oldest style of dance because in the early
days only men were allowed to dance. When they danced it was generally
for war or prayer. When watching a traditional dancer, many men prefer
to tell a story of their own, while others dance for prayer and some
are just dancing to have fun and be a part of their culture. Neither is
a right and wrong way of dancing. Like the women's
traditional there are other tribal variations of men's
traditional.
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The drum is recognized as a separate entity and represents a liaison with our Creator, containing thunder and lightening, and when struck calls the Creators attention and the spirits of our forefathers. The care and maintenance of the drum is delegated to responsible families at various yearly intervals through a delicate selection process. The first son of the selected family are then entitled to be referred to as "Drum Keeper". The consensus of American Indian people is the blessings derived by the Drum Keeper and his family for the care and maintenance that all Native People will be bountiful.
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