Its regalia is thought to have originated with the Pawnee, who taught the dance to the Dakota Sioux in about 1870. One of the best-known examples of the Plains Indians was the Omaha or Grass Dance, also practiced by the Arapaho, Pawnee, Omaha, Dakota, Crow, Gros Ventre, Assiniboin, and Blackfoot. There were several semi-religious festivals or ceremonies in which a large number of individuals participated, which were handed from one tribe to another. This list of dances is far from all-encompassing, as there were hundreds of dances and variations across the continent.
Depending upon the dance, sometimes visitors are welcomed, while, at other times, the ceremonies are private. The dances are regionally or tribally specific, and the singers usually perform in their native languages. In addition to public dances, there were also private and semi-public dances for healing, prayer, initiation, storytelling, and courting.ĭance continues to be an important part of Native American culture. Participants might include the entire tribe or would be specific to men, women, or families. Some dances included solos, while others included songs with a leader and chorus. Many tribes danced only to the sound of a drum and their own voices, while others incorporated bells and rattles. Sometimes a leader was chosen on others, a specific individual, such as a war leader or medicine man, would lead the dance.
Movements of the participants illustrated the purpose of the dance - expressing prayer, victory, thanks, mythology, and more. Many dances played a vital role in religious rituals and other ceremonies, while others were held to guarantee the success of hunts, harvests, giving thanks, and other celebrations.Ĭommonly, dances were held in a large structure or an open field around a fire. Dances have always been significant in the lives of Native Americans as both a common amusement and a solemn duty.
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