Eagles and eagle feathers are revered by many tribes of this continent because of the bird’s characteristics, abilities and closeness to the Creator. Eagle feathers are a symbol of honor and good medicine. When an eagle feather or fluff is on the ground, all other proceedings cease until a veteran ceremonially retrieves the feather. The feather symbolizes a fallen warrior.

Everyone can join in this dance of friendship. The circle of dancers moves to the lift in the clockwise direction and three circle dance songs will be sung in succession. Variations of this nearly universal Native American social dance include the Oklahoma two-step, the rabbit dance, the owl dance, the serpentine, and the Indian square dance (in a circle) which mimics pioneer square dance moves to tribal songs.

Dancers typically wear a breechcloth, moccasins, feather bustle, a porcupine and deer hair roach with a spreader in the middle made of bone, rawhide or leather in which roach feathers are mounted. Dancers compete to special songs. In the Crow Hop, dancers’ feet make slow deliberate moves to the beat, imitating a crow hopping. Actions in the Sneak Up illustrate events in war or hunting such as tracking enemies or game. In the Duck and Dive, the hard drumbeats represent cannon fire and dancers duck in unison to avoid being hit. The best dancers are light on their feet regardless of size and weight, match the drum with every move, bend close to the ground and use the whole body to dance.

Extremely colorful beadwork, elaborate feather bustles, ribbons, scarves, horsehair tips, angora bands, sheep bells, a roach headdress and dance sticks all punctuate the most spectacular display of dance stunts and movements in this very fast paced contest that began in the 1950’s. After WWII, Korea, and the federal Indian Relocation policy that moved Indians to urban centers for jobs, many pan-Indian powwows sprang up across the U.S., and so did this dance. Drummers may orchestrate many quick stops in a song to test the dancers and to highlight the dancers’ athletic abilities.

Wearing lots of fringe (representing tall blades of prairie grass), a porcupine and deer hair roach and no bustle, this dance was popularized by Northern Plains peoples where tall prairie grasses needed to be flattened for encampments or gatherings. Moves show how they would gracefully bend, fold, and weave greases to an even surface, and dancers’ ribbons and yarn sway as grasses would.

Wearing a cloth fitted dress with ribbon and appliqué and complementing shawl with long fringe, leggings, cuffs, moccasins, hair ties, choker, and earrings, this dance imitates the rapid and fluid movements of butterflies. The light spinning and jumping moves require athleticism & timing with the drum. Watch for complex footwork as well as poise, grace and agility.

Plateau Women’s dresses may be made of buckskin, wool, velvet, or dresses adorned with dentalia, cowry, or abalone shells, elk teeth, ribbon, seed and bugle beads as well as fringe on the sleeves and hem. Plateau dresses typically have shorter fringe and more flared skirts than plains dresses. Hand woven hats, headbands or beaded hair ornaments with feathers may be worn. In this category, two songs are typically sung in contests so that the females demonstrate both a slow and graceful straight style war dance and a circle dance. Historically, Plateau women did not war dance but would encircle the drum or dance area and keep time with the music standing in place gently bouncing or lightly swaying. In rare instances women who had committed deeds in combat such as taking the life of an enemy, rescuing others, or escaping from enemy captivity would join the men in the war dance. After WWII, as many women veterans returned from service in the armed forces it became more common to see women war dance. The dance exemplifies light-footedness, grace, modesty, and dignity with each song.

In 1920, after a medicine man’s granddaughter became ill, his spirit guides told him in a dream to make her a dress that would please the ear and have her dance in it to heal her. The dress is decorated with rolled up snuff can lids or baking powder lids hanging from ribbon. There are two styles of jingle dance – a slide step and straight.