The legend of the Jingle Dress and the Jingle Dance vary slightly from tribe to tribe. They all, however, have the same basis for the story: The dress was given to the People in a vision from Great Spirit for the purpose of healing. I want to share with my readers the story of one person who has upheld her People's legend and hopes that others may learn from her.

Last week I was fortunate to have made the acquaintance of a very lovely soul, a woman named Candice whom I hope will become a great friend. Candice is Keeper of the Language, Culture and Traditions of the Ojibwe Tribe. She told me that the Jingle Dress and the Jingle Dance is held in very high esteem to her People and wishes to share knowledge with the younger generations of Jingle Dancers and all people who love to watch this mesmerizing, beautiful dance. With heartfelt concern for keeping the old ways alive and the spiritual purpose of the dress and dance true to the Great Spirit, Candice shared some enlightening information with me:

"The jingle dress originated in Whitefish Bay, Ont. Canada. It is said that a Grandpa's granddaughter was very ill. He did not know how to get her better. So one night he had a vision. He saw a girl dancing with cones on her dress and the sounds carried up to the Creator. The sound was pleasing to the Creator and he then healed the man's granddaughter. So when Mishoomis (grandfather) woke from his vision, he had his wife make the dress and dance in it. His granddaughter was healed! This is how the dress originated. Word got out about the medicine dress and that it worked for healing. Before any girl and or woman dances she must always carry tobacco (semaa) on her. Tobacco is one of the 4 sacred medicines that the Creator gave us to keep and take care of. We use it to pray with. So when I dance I put tobacco around me before I enter the sacred circle and begin to pray. I also keep a small tobacco pouch in my hand to pray while I am dancing and when I am done dancing that round I empty the tobacco pouch in the sacred circle."

This is a lovely story and one that the Ojibwe have upheld with spiritual respect for many, many generations. The gift of the dress and dance is called "Odiizeoon", which means something given through a vision from the spirit world. It is very highly esteemed and very sacred because of the manner in which it was given to the People and is therefore treated with great respect. The original dance and the contemporary interpretations have some differences, but the sacred meaning for the purpose of the dress and dance should always remain the same. It is known as a prayer dress to be worn for the specific purpose of healing. Candice also has this to say about it:

"To become a traditional jingle dancer it is said that one must become very ill or close to death. If a female is ill or close to death and is healed by a jingle dancer or dancers she must become a medicine dancer. If a male is close to death or ill and is healed by a jingle dancer or dancers one of his female relatives must become a jingle dancer. If any person of any race brings me tobacco and has asked me to dance and pray for their loved ones I do. This is what the dress was made and used for. HEALING. The dance should be in a snake like pattern with bottoms of moccasins never showing. The snake pattern dance represents the skin of a snake shredding and always renewing one's self."

The dance was done among the Dakota and Lakota tribes also and spread over the generations to other tribes and is now one of the most popular of the powwow dances. The dress is beautiful with the tin cones and the elaborate beading on the yoke. Candice told me that the original pattern was to have 365 cones on it, one for each day of the year and some times one extra for the dressmaker or dancer. Candice, and others like her who follow the traditional and original beliefs, are very concerned that not all the contemporary Jingle Dancers are aware of the purpose of this sacred dress and dance. She prays for understanding and a return to the old way with the thought of the real purpose for this extraordinary dress and dance deeply ingrained in the spirit, mind and heart of the dancer.

This article is dedicated to Candice Morrison (Westwind) with great appreciation and thanks.

Editor Picks:

,