Dancing has always had a part of the Native American religious/cultural practices. They were used in praise, worship, healing, victory, successful hunts; almost every event had a celebratory dance. To this day, dancing has a very important place in Native American religious culture, it could even be said that without the dance, the religious culture would essentially be squashed. By the 1890’s most Native American dancing rituals, including the Ghost Dance, had been banned by the U.S. government, especially those considered “war dances” (“Ghost Dancers”).
Although the “Fancy Dance” is not typically considered part of a sacred ritual, it does have it’s roots based in the traditional “War Dance”("Native American Dances - History and Information"). The Fancy Dance was devised in the 1920’s by members of the Ponca tribe as a way to preserve their heritage since all other religious dances had been outlawed (“Native”). However since the Fancy Dance was a fast paced and colorful dance that employed the use of many colorful feathers, headbands, leggings, cuffs and shawls, it was not considered a threat, and Native Americans were allowed to perform this dance in public (“Native”). The Fancy Dance was a way for the Native Americans to preserve their culture, but also a way for them to make money when they performed in public for crowds. Especially as the Intertribal Pow Wow circuit began to expand and the Fancy Dance became a part of it (“Native”). To this day the Fancy Dance is performed at Pow Wow’s and has become quite a competitive dance. (“Native”).
Fancy Dancer-Mother’s Day PowWow-Image Credit: Angela Martin
The word PowWow is an Anglicized version of the word “pau-wau” which means a gathering of elders or medicine men and “pau-wauing” referred to a religious ceremony performed by said elders and medicine men (Schultz). So for the Fancy Dance to work it’s way into powwows as the only dance legally allowed was significant. Although no record exists of the first powwow, the powwow has it’s roots in the 19th century Pawnee tribes religious ceremonies, which were adopted by the Omaha tribes and often held by elite warrior societies (Schultz). When religious ceremonies and dancing were outlawed in the mid/late 1800’s, the powwow took on new life as the surviving force for Native American religious culture. At the center of the powwow was the sacred drum.
“The drum is the heartbeat and central pulse of the powwow”(Schultz). The drums are very large and can accommodate 5-10 members around the drum for performing songs. The drummers/singers, who are always men, are extremely important to the powwow, they are responsible for knowing a multitude of songs for many performances and honorings (Schultz). Songs are generally repeated four times, because four is a sacred number to the Native American tradition (Schultz). Having gone to many PowWows myself I can personally attest to the sacredness of the PowWow drum. No one except the singers and drummers are allowed to touch the drum, to do so takes the sacredness from the drum,
Drum Circle-Mother’s Day PowWow-Photo Credit: Angela Martin
Fancy Dancing and Powwows have have helped preserve Native American religious traditions through a time period when their religious practices were banned, And though the powwows used to primarily be performed on reservations, within the last 25 years they have taken on an even stronger significance to the modern Native American and are often performed in public places as a way to share their culture and keep it alive (Schultz).
This is a video of the men’s Fancy Dance in 2010. The bright colors and fast paced dancing, along with all of the jumps, turns, squats, and flips are typical of a Fancy Dance you can see at any Pow Wow today.
PowWows.Com is a great resource for a list of PowWows throughout the United States. .
Works Cited
“Ghost Dancers.” Dir. Randy Granger. Ghost Dancers. YouTube, 17 Aug. 2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB7XegOQwSA>.
"Native American Dances - History and Information." Native American Dances - History and Information. Legends of America, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.
Schultz, Becky Olvera. "Native American Powwow History." Powwows. Powwow Power, 2016. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <http://powwow-power.com/powwow-history/>.
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