If you are planning on attending the "Gathering of Nations" powwow on April 24 - 26, 2008 in Albuquerque, here is some information on the dancers, their dances and the regalia they wear. The dances you will see at the powwow are the same as what the ancestors performed thousands of years ago. Both men and women will perform the dances and from little ones just toddling to the elders it is an ancient tradition, honor and very spiritual.

Some of the most beautiful attire you will ever see will be on a Powwow Dancer. Native Americans do not refer to their dance attire as costumes, ever. The proper term to use is 'regalia'. Regalia refers to the dress or shirt, breech clout, the headdress, the leggings, the moccasins, hair ornaments, purses, bones, and any other decorations adorning the clothing such
as feathers, beads, bells and jinglers.

Jinglers, usually referred to as tin cone jinglers, were originally made from the tin of a can, possibly a snuff can. A pattern is cut in a triangle to the size needed and used to cut out the tin piece which is then wrapped around the end of a pointed stick or awl until it forms a cone. The cones are then attached to fringe and sewn on a dress. The dress will usually have seven rows of cones, and sometimes as many as 2000 cones on one dress. The cones give off a mellow jingle when dancing, thus the name of Jingle Cones. If you have ever tried to cut, form and sew these little cones on fabric or fringe,
then you will know this is not a task to be taken lightly. It can take months of tedious work to get them made and onto the dress precisely placed to give the best impression and allow them to make the desired noise when dancing.

The dress itself is cut straight down from the underarms and is a little more form fitting than the traditional dresses, but there is still enough room for the fluid moves the dancer needs to make when performing the Jingle Dance. The top of the dress is decorated painstakingly with beads of the individual's Nation colors and their unique design. Fringe is added along the back and arms of the dress. Besides the Jingle dress, the dancer will also wear eagle feathers and carry a fan which she raises in time to the honor beats of the drums in order to receive the healing. Traditional moccasins to accompany the dress have painted designs or are hand beaded with bright color beads.

The Women's Jingle Dance, as with all the dances, is a spiritual experience, and has many variations on it's origin. One tradition is that is was given to the Ojibway people to perform when healing is called for. Another is that it first started with the Northern Chippewa Nation and quickly spread throughout the other Northern Plains tribes. Wherever it originated from, it is a dance seen at almost any powwow today and performed by dancers from most of the Nations.

The dance is very graceful and fluid yet rigorous. It takes a woman with stamina and strength enough to perform the strenuous moves. She has to make sure that her feet, when hitting the ground, keeps her jingle sounds in synchronization with the beats of the drums. She will be judged on this and one offbeat step can throw off her entire focus. The movements themselves have been passed down from her ancestors and are unique to her and her Nation.

The Women's Fancy Shawl Dance is an awesome, beautiful performance to observe. The capes, moccasins and leggings are elaborately beaded, embroidered and decorated. To complement the regalia, the shawl has very long fringes which are fanned out during the dance movements. It is a fast paced, exuberant dance and, as in the Jingle Dance, one must be in pretty good
physical shape to perform it. This dance has come a long way since it's introduction and has evolved from one of ridicule by the tribes to the women performing it to one of a unique expression of Native uniqueness. The dance involves intricate footwork and is choreographed to keep time with the beat of the drums and singers. It is performed in a constant whirl and must maintain the beauty and grace this dance calls for. Showmanship, endurance and agility will be watched carefully by the judges.

The Men's Grass Dance has a legend that comes with it. The legend says that "Once a young man, lame in one foot, longed ever so much to dance. He took that longing out onto the prairie, praying for guidance as he limped up a small hill. On top of that hill, it came to him - he should develop his own style of dance. As he pondered this revelation, he looked down over the prairie with its swaying and swooping grasses. This, he realized, this could be his dance." and thus developed the origin of the grass dance. The men wear yarn or ribbon, cut into strands that hang from their arms and waist. This is a graceful dance, as, like the grasses gently waving in the breeze, the ribbons ripple like prairie grass.

The most athletic of the powwow dances is the Men's Fancy Dance. This requires young, strong and well coordinated men for the dance is very energetic and tricky. Sometimes the drum circle may try to trick the dancers by stopping unexpectedly then begin again. The dancers must stop when the drum stops. The regalia these men wear have brilliant colors with double
bustles in the back and often on the arms also.

These competition dances are not for the beginner. They are strenuous, energetic and take a lot of coordination, endurance and showmanship. There are many other dances performed at powwows that you will truly enjoy watching. If you really study the regalia, you will soon realize that preparation for these performances has taken quite a long time and some very tedious work by expert Native American crafters.

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