Native American Dances

Dances have resonated deeply within the tapestry of Native American life, serving as both a source of communal joy and a sacred obligation. Across the diverse landscape of indigenous cultures, dance played a multifaceted role, intertwining with religious practices, ceremonial rites, and everyday celebrations. From ensuring successful hunts and bountiful harvests to expressing gratitude and commemorating significant events, dance provided a powerful medium for connection, expression, and spiritual fulfillment.

Within the heart of these dances, symbolism flourished. Often held within a designated structure or beneath the vast expanse of the open sky around a crackling fire, the movements of the dancers served as a visual language, conveying profound messages of prayer, triumph, thanksgiving, and the rich narratives of mythology. In some instances, a designated leader would guide the dance, while in others, a respected figure such as a war chief or medicine man would assume the mantle of leadership. The rhythmic pulse of the drum frequently served as the primary accompaniment, augmented by the resounding voices of the dancers themselves. Other tribes incorporated the evocative sounds of bells and rattles, adding layers of texture to the auditory landscape. Dances could range from intimate solos to elaborate performances involving entire tribes, or be tailored specifically for men, women, or families. Beyond the public sphere, private and semi-public dances held profound significance, serving as conduits for healing, prayer, initiation, storytelling, and the delicate rituals of courtship.

Even today, dance retains its vital significance within Native American culture. These dances are often deeply rooted in specific regions or tribal traditions, and the accompanying songs are typically performed in native languages, preserving linguistic heritage. While some dances extend a welcoming hand to visitors, others remain private ceremonies, reserved for tribal members. The diversity of Native American dance traditions is vast, with countless dances and variations existing across the continent, each reflecting the unique cultural identity of its origin. This article offers an exploration of some notable examples, providing insight into the rich tapestry of Native American dance.

Dancing Associations:

Among the diverse array of Native American dance traditions, certain semi-religious festivals and ceremonies fostered widespread participation, often spreading from one tribe to another. A prominent example among the Plains Indians is the Omaha or Grass Dance, a tradition embraced by tribes such as the Arapaho, Pawnee, Omaha, Dakota, Crow, Gros Ventre, Assiniboin, and Blackfeet. The origins of its regalia are attributed to the Pawnee, who shared the dance with the Dakota Sioux around 1870. The Sioux, in turn, disseminated it to the Arapaho and Gros Ventre, who then passed it on to the Blackfeet. Subsequently, the Blackfeet introduced the dance to the Flathead and Kootenai tribes further west.

These dancing associations often convened at night within large, circular wooden structures erected specifically for these gatherings. Dancers might adorn themselves with elaborate feather bustles, known as crow belts, and distinctive roached headdresses crafted from hair. Feasts, sometimes featuring dog’s flesh, were often part of the ceremonies. Members of these associations were often known for their acts of charity and self-denial, extending assistance to the less fortunate.

Other dances, such as the Cree Dance, Gourd Dance, and horseback dances, also possessed similar associations. However, each tribe retained its own unique ceremonies and songs, with occasional additions and adaptations.

Fancy Dance:

The Fancy Dance, a vibrant and energetic display, doesn’t trace its roots back to ancient tribal traditions. Instead, it emerged from the creative spirit of the Ponca tribe in the 1920s and 1930s, born out of a desire to preserve their cultural heritage and religious practices. During this period, the United States and Canadian governments had outlawed Native American religious dances, forcing many traditional ceremonies "underground" to evade detection. The Fancy Dance, loosely inspired by the traditional War Dance, was deemed acceptable for public performance, making it suitable for display to visitors on reservations and in "Wild West" shows. Two young Ponca boys are credited with pioneering the fast-paced style that captivated audiences. Recognizing its significance, the Ponca Tribe constructed its own dance arena in White Eagle, Oklahoma.

Soon, other tribes adopted the practice, creating new dances that could be legally performed in public. In the 1930s, the Kiowa and Comanche tribes developed distinctive dance regalia styles that were incorporated into the Fancy Dance.

Even before the Fancy Dance took hold, an intertribal Pow-Wow circuit had emerged, where various tribes held dance contests. These events proved to be a vital source of income during the Great Depression. In the late 1930s, women also began to participate in the Fancy Dance.

Characterized by its rapid tempo, vibrant colors, and boundless energy, the Fancy Dance often incorporates intricate tricks and displays of athleticism. The dance regalia is equally striking, featuring brightly colored feather bustles, headwear, beaded bodices, leggings, shawls, and moccasins. Garments are further embellished with fringe, feathers, embroidery, ribbon work, and other elaborate designs. Beaded cuffs, chokers, earrings, bracelets, and eagle plumes are also commonly worn. Today, Fancy Dancers are a common sight at public exhibitions, and the dance has evolved into a competitive sport.

Ghost Dance – A Promise of Fulfillment

The Ghost Dance (Natdia) emerged as a spiritual movement in the late 1880s, a period of hardship and despair on Indian reservations. It offered hope to Native Americans facing dire circumstances. This movement found its genesis in a Paiute Indian named Wovoka, who proclaimed himself the messiah sent to earth to prepare the Indians for their salvation.

Gourd Dance

The Gourd Dance, believed to have originated with the Kiowa tribe, is often held in conjunction with a Pow-Wow, although it possesses its own distinct dance style and history. Kiowa legend recounts the story of a solitary man who heard an unusual song emanating from the other side of a hill. Upon investigation, he discovered that the song originated from a red wolf dancing on its hind legs. After listening to the songs throughout the night, the wolf instructed him to carry the songs and dance back to the Kiowa people. The "howl" that concludes each gourd dance song serves as a tribute to the red wolf. In the Kiowa language, the dance is referred to as "Ti-ah pi-ah," which translates to "ready to go, ready to die."

The Comanche and Cheyenne tribes also have their own legends surrounding the Gourd Dance. The ceremony soon spread to other tribes and societies.

While traditionally performed by men, women can participate by dancing in place behind the men and outside the circular arena. The drum can be positioned on the side or in the center of the circle, and the dancers typically perform around the perimeter, often dancing in place. The dance itself is simple, with participants lifting their heels in time with the drumbeat and shaking their rattles. The attire is generally unadorned, with dancers wearing sashes around their waists or draped around their necks, reaching the ground.

Starting in 1890, the United States government actively enforced bans on these dances, leading to its decline by the 1930s. However, several tribes have since revived the dance. Some gourd societies do not discriminate based on race, allowing non-Native Americans to join, while the Kiowa tribe restricts membership to individuals who are at least half-blooded. At contemporary Pow-Wows, gourd dancing typically precedes the Grand Entry. The rattles used in Pow-Wows are not crafted from gourds but rather from tin or silver cylinders filled with beads and attached to a beaded handle.

Grass Dance

The Grass Dance, stands as one of the oldest and most widespread dances in Native American culture. Traditionally, grass dancers were tasked with flattening the grass in the arena prior to other important celebrations. However, the name "grass" is not derived from this stomping action but rather from the historical practice of attaching sweetgrass braids to the dancers’ belts, creating a swaying effect. Primarily a men’s dance, it is believed to have originated with the northern Plains Indians, particularly the Omaha-Ponca and the Dakota Sioux. One legend recounts the story of a handicapped Northern Plains boy who yearned to dance. After consulting a Medicine Man, he was instructed to seek inspiration on the prairie. He envisioned himself dancing in the style of the swaying grasses. Upon returning to the camp, he shared his vision and was later said to have regained the use of his legs to perform the first Grass Dance. In addition to its practical purpose, the dance also serves to honor ancestors and draw spiritual strength from Mother Earth. Today, the Grass Dance is a popular intertribal dance, embraced by both men and women. The dancers, adorned in colorful attire, resemble a swaying mass of yarn or fringe, emulating the movement of grass in the breeze. The dance movements are fluid and bending, further replicating the natural motion of grass. The Native American Dances tradition is largely intertribal today due to its longevity and the modernization of ceremonies spurred by early 20th-century oppression. Special blessings are bestowed upon both the dancers and the observers.

Hoop Dance

The Hoop Dance, a tradition spanning centuries, is a storytelling dance that employs anywhere from one to forty hoops to create both static and dynamic shapes. These formations represent the movements of various animals and other narrative elements. In its earliest forms, the dance is thought to have been part of a healing ceremony aimed at restoring balance and harmony to the world. The hoop, with no beginning or end, symbolizes the never-ending circle of life. Crafted from reeds or wood, the hoops are manipulated to create symbolic shapes, including butterflies, turtles, eagles, flowers, and snakes.

Various narratives recount the dance’s origins. Some suggest that the Creator bestowed a series of wooden hoops and the "dance" upon a dying man from the Northern Plains who wished to leave behind a gift. Another Southwestern tale attributes the hoops’ development to cliff-dwellers who used them to teach dexterity to children.

A more prominent legend attributes the Hoop Dance to the Anishinaabe culture, where an unearthly spirit was born to live among the people. The boy, disinterested in typical boys’ activities, preferred solitude and observing animals. This led to his father shunning him, earning him the name Pukawiss: the disowned or unwanted. However, the boy continued to study the movements of eagles, bears, snakes, and birds. He soon mimicked an eagle in flight, hopped through the grass like a rabbit, and created the Hoop Dance to teach the other Indians about the ways of the animals. Before long, Pukawiss became so popular that every village sought to learn the dance.

Today, the Hoop Dance remains a cherished tradition. Typically performed by a solo dancer, the dance begins with a single hoop, representing the circle of life. Additional hoops represent other life elements, including humans, animals, wind, water, and seasons. The dance involves rapid movements in which the hoops interlock and extend from the body, forming appendages such as wings and tails. Practiced by numerous tribes, the Hoop Dance has evolved over the years, becoming faster and incorporating non-traditional influences. It has also become a highly competitive event, with the first World Hoop Dance Competition held at the New Mexico State Fair in 1991. Currently, the most popular competition is held annually at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. The Native American Dances is one of the most entertaining.

Hopi Snake Dance

The Snake Dance, a Hopi ritual, is held annually in late August, during which the performers dance with live snakes in their mouths. The dance is believed to have originated as a water ceremony, as snakes were traditionally considered guardians of springs. Today, it primarily serves as a rain ceremony to honor Hopi ancestors. The tribe regards snakes as their "brothers" and entrusts them with carrying their prayers for rain to the gods and ancestral spirits.

The Snake Dance requires two weeks of ritual preparation, during which children gather and observe the snakes until the day of the dance. On the final day of the sixteen-day celebration, the dance is performed. While rattlesnakes are the most common type, all snakes are handled freely.

Before the dance commences, participants ingest an emetic (possibly a sedative herb) and then dance with the snakes in their mouths. An Antelope Priest is typically present to assist with the dance, sometimes stroking the snakes with a feather or supporting their weight. The dance involves swaying, rattles, a guttural chant, and circling the plaza with snakes. Following the dance, the snakes are released in the four directions to deliver the dancers’ prayers. The portion of the Snake Dance performed for the tribe represents only a small part of a larger ceremony, with most of it conducted privately in kivas.

Although once open to the public, the dance is now restricted to tribal members due to instances of illegal photography and disrespect for Hopi traditions and ceremonial practices.

Rain Dance

The Rain Dance, a ceremonial dance performed by numerous agricultural peoples, is particularly prevalent in the southwest, where summers can be exceptionally dry. The ceremony is performed to petition the spirits or gods for rain to nourish the tribes’ crops. The dance typically takes place during spring planting and before the harvest season. It may also be performed during times of severe drought.

A unique aspect of rain dances compared to other ceremonial dances is the participation of both men and women. The dance varies from tribe to tribe, each with its own distinct rituals and costumes. Some tribes wear large headdresses, while others don masks. Common accessories include body paint, beads, animal skins, horse and goat hair, feathers, embroidered aprons, and jewelry crafted from leather, silver, and turquoise. Feathers and the color blue are frequently incorporated into dress and accessories, symbolizing the wind and rain, respectively. The special clothing and accessories worn during the Rain Dance are typically reserved for this specific ceremony and stored for the remainder of the year. The dance steps often involve moving in a zigzag pattern, unlike other ceremonial dances that involve standing in a circle.

The origins of ceremonial dances have been passed down orally through generations. During the 19th-century relocation of Native Americans, the United States government prohibited certain tribal ceremonial dances. In some regions, tribal members would inform federal authorities that they were performing a "rain dance" to conceal the fact that they were engaged in one of the banned ceremonies.

While the Rain Dance is most commonly associated with tribes in the southwest, such as the Puebloan, Hopi, Zuni, and Apache, other tribes, including the Cherokee in the Southeastern United States, also performed the ceremony. Many tribes continue to practice this ceremony today. The Native American Dances are very important to their culture.

Stomp Dance

The Stomp Dance, practiced by various Eastern Woodland tribes, including the Muscogee Creek, Yuchi, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Caddo, Delaware, Miami, Ottawa, Peoria, Shawnee, Seminole, Natchez, and Seneca-Cayuga, is a ceremony that embodies both religious and social significance. The term "Stomp Dance" is an English designation that refers to the "shuffle and stomp" movements characteristic of the dance. In the native Muskogee language, the dance is called Opvnkv Haco, which can be interpreted as "drunken," "crazy," or "inspirited" dance, reflecting the effects of the medicine and dance on the participants. A nighttime event, the dance is linked to the Green Corn Ceremony by the Muscogee Creek, Cherokee, and other Southeastern Indians.

These dances are generally performed multiple times during the summer to ensure the community’s well-being. Performed by both men and women, these events may feature some thirty or more performances, each sung by a different leader, and may also include other dances, such as the Duck Dance, Friendship Dance, or the Bean Dance.

When a leader begins, he circles the sacred fire, followed in a single file by those who wish to participate. The dancers proceed counter-clockwise around the fire, singing, shaking leg rattles, and dancing with a stomping step. Men and women alternate positions behind the leader, organizing themselves by age and skill, with the youngest and least experienced dancers at the end of the line.

Dancing typically commences well after dark and continues until dawn. Participants who are making a religious commitment will begin fasting after midnight and are obligated to remain awake throughout the night. The "medicine" taken by participants is prepared from roots and plants ceremonially gathered by a Healer. Dancing continues until sunrise, at which point the event concludes.

Sun Dance

The Sun Dance is primarily practiced by tribes in the Upper Plains and Rocky Mountain regions. This annual ceremony typically occurs at the summer solstice, with preparations commencing up to a year in advance. While the dance is practiced differently by different tribes, the Eagle serves as a central symbol, harmonizing body and spirit, as does the buffalo, for its essential role in Plains Indian sustenance, clothing, and shelter. Many ceremonies share common features, such as specific dances and songs passed down through generations, the use of a traditional drum, praying with the pipe, offerings, fasting, and sometimes the ceremonial piercing of the skin. Although not all Sun Dance ceremonies involve ritual piercing, the objective of the Sun Dance is to offer personal sacrifice as a prayer for the well-being of one’s family and community. The Native American Dances can be both fun and ceremonial.

In the late 1800s, the U.S. government attempted to suppress the Sun Dance. The Cheyenne ceremony "went underground" and reemerged in the twentieth century. In August 1890, rumors of army patrols disrupted the Kiowa Sun Dance, leading to its abandonment. However, in September of that year, the first Ghost Dance was held, and for many years, it supplanted the Sun Dance. The last Ponca Sun Dance was held in 1908. The policy of government suppression ended with the issuance of the 1934 circular Indian Religious Freedom and Indian Culture, and since then, Sun Dances have been held intermittently.

War Dance

Many tribes practiced a War Dance the evening before an attack to observe certain religious rites to ensure success. The warriors participated in a war dance while contemplating retaliation, stirring emotions and instilling a profound sense of purpose as they prepared for battle. While the ceremonies varied from one tribe to another, common elements included singing, often lasting an entire day and night, interspersed with prayers, handling of sacred objects or bundles, and occasional dancing. A sweat lodge or other purification ceremony was often held, incense burned, faces might be painted, and a pipe was frequently passed between the participants. Generally, the only musical instruments used in these ceremonies are rattles, drums, and whistles. In the Pacific Northwest, the Pueblos of the Southwest, and the Iroquois of the Woodlands, participants often wore costumes and masks representing various gods or supernatural creatures who enacted parts of the ritual. The Native American Dances vary in style across the country.
War Dance names differ among Indian communities, with the Fancy Dance incorporating war dance rituals of the Kiowa, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Comanche, and Kiowa-Apache tribes. For the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes, the wolf is symbolically linked to a warrior, and the ritual is called the "Wolf Dance." The Lakota Sioux Omaha dance is named after the Omaha tribe, who taught the dance to the Lakota, and the war dance is known to Utah’s Paiute tribe as the Fancy Bustle, referencing part of the dancer’s costume.