Native Teens

*Hint: For all catagories your feet must be on the ground on the last beat, not before and not after, you also have to stay with the beat.

Cloth is a form of women's dress and has both a northern and southern style. the southern style is danced by the kiowas, osage, ponca, and others. the northern style is danced by the sioux, crow, and others. the dance is a slow and graceful one much like the women's buckskin style.

There are many tribal variations with the outfit, including wearing a cloth dress or a wool dress and others. the basic outfit consists of several parts. the boots are a high top moccasins that is usually partially beaded. the dress is a long dress with open sleeves. The bottom of the dress is covered in a wrap that is usually a contrasting color or pattern. the wrap is sometimes fringed like a shawl. This style has a breast plate similar to the buckskin dress. This breastplate however has a front and back to it as opposed to the one sided style worn by buckskin dancers. The belt is either silver conchos or beaded with a drag. The women also wear three other items on the belt which are;

• The awl case.
• Strike-a-lit pouch.
• Tobacco pouch.

The dancer sometimes wears a scarf and choker. they also will carry a fan, purse and shawl.

Jingle dress is also called a prayer dress. There are differences in the origins of the dress among the tribes. The dress was seen in a dream, as an object to bring healing to afflicted people. It comes from the Northern tribe Ojibewea or Chippewa, along the Canadian border.

A medicine man's granddaughter became very ill one day. In a dream, his spirit guides told him to make a jingle dress for her and have her dance in it. This, he was told would heal her. When the outfit was finished, the tribe assembled for a dance. On her first time around, the illness would not permit her to dance and she was carried. As time went on she was soon dancing in the circle.

Jingle dresses are decorated with rolled up snuff can lids that are hung with ribbon. The ribbon is then sewed to the dress, the jingles placed close enough so they can hit together, causing a beautiful sound. If one were to close their eyes as the Jingle dancer passes, it would sound as though it were raining!

Jingle dress is the hardest of all. For jingle dress you have to stay on your tipy-toes the time you are dancing and at the same time you have to work with your feet but stay with the beat. On the honor beats you hold up your fan in the air.

Fancy Shawl is the newest form of women's dance, and is quite athletic! Fancy Shawl is often called Northern Shawl, as it does come form the Northern tribes along the US-Canadian border.

This is very similar in dancing and the bright colors to the Men's Fancy Dance. The ladies wear their shawls over their shoulders, and dance by jumping and spinning around, keeping time with the music. They mimic butterflies in flight, and the dance style is quite graceful and light.

Emphasis is paid particularly to the shawls, with elaborate designs, applique, ribbon work, and painting. Long fringe hangs from the edges of the shawl, and flies round.

Fancy shawl is a new dance, the purpose of fancy shawl is to inpersonate a butterfly with its wings, your feet, and your turns, but again stay with the beat, take easy steps, not like you would walking. You take small steps but at the sametime You must stay with the beat of the drum and your shawl or your fringe must sway back and fourth.

Buckskin, is the oldest form of women's dance. This is a dance of elegance and grace. The movement is smooth and flowing.

The ladies wear fine, hand-crafted buckskin dresses, decorated with intricate bead designs.

• Northern dresses are fully beaded on the shoulders, or cape.
• Southern ones, the beadwork is mainly used to accent.

They are equally beautiful. The women carry fringed shawls over one arm. Much like the Men's Traditional Dance, there are many tribal and regional differences in the outfitting of this women's style. The jewelry is breath taking. Breastplates made from hair bone pipe, and glass beads can hang to the waist, or all the way to the ankles.The latter is Northern, the former, Southern. Hair barrettes are hand beaded, and beaded pieces for the fur that hangs from the lady's hair can be quite intricate indeed. Some ladies, who have either been princesses, or the younger ones who are princesses still, wear beaded crowns, given to them by their societies.

The moccasins are either fully beaded (Northern), or accent beaded (Southern).Ladies' Buckskin dancing is slow, and poised. Circling the drum, they bob to the beat of the drum, letting the long fringe on their sleeves sway in time. They carry a beaded purse, swinging it as well, and a shawl, folded on the arm, swaying likewise.These highly respected women dance in rhythm with the drum by swaying and slightly bending at their knees. These movements are very slight. This slight movement, however, creates a beautiful effect in moving their leather fringe in a breezy swaying motion. Northern dresses usually have fully beaded yokes, while Southern dresses have applique beadwork.