Jingle dress dancing is a cherished Native American tradition gifted to the world by the Ojibwe Tribe, who are located near the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. This powwow dance style is known for its healing origins, rhythmic footwork, and the beautiful sound of its jingling cones.
Mahala Sutherland is a jingle dress dancer from the Navajo Nation who shares this tradition with audiences across the country. She visits schools and cultural events to educate students about powwow dancing and the significance of the jingle dress.
Meet Mahala Sutherland
Mahala Sutherland joins us to explain what jingle dress dancing is and why it is important. She is a professional jingle dress dancer from the Navajo Nation who performs at powwows nationwide. Mahala was first introduced to the powwow circuit by one of her Ojibwe friends, which sparked her passion for this cultural tradition.
Notably, Mahala became the first-ever Indigenous person to win homecoming royalty at Southern Utah University. The university honors the Paiute Tribe in its official land acknowledgment, recognizing that its campus is located on Paiute land.
Story of Jingle Dress Dancing
Jingle dress dancing is a series of intricate footwork. The style of dress was said to have come to fruition in an Ojibwe man’s dream one night as a solution to help his sick granddaughter. The Ojibwe’s man wife sewed the dress that came to him in his dream. The sick granddaughter was able to walk and even dance along again in the story.
The story of jingle dress dancing can vary from person to person or family to family, since it is an oral tradition. Oral tradition means that the story is passed down just by telling it to the different generations. Kind of like a game of telephone, but within an entire culture about a sacred story.
The Journey to the Powwow Dance Spotlight
Mahala always dreamed of being a Native American dancer, but she didn’t begin dancing until she went to college. Her story is a reminder that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Today, she has made history as the first homecoming royalty at Southern Utah University and continues to inspire others through her performances.
What Makes a Jingle Dress Special
Jingle dresses are adorned with 365 metal cones that “jingle” as the dancer moves. The sound of the cones is meant to represent raindrops on a tin roof. Each dress has a secret hidden cone, where only the maker of the dress and the dancer knows where the secret cone is. The extra cone is meant to represent the leap year.
These dresses can be heavy, and dancing in them is a physically demanding workout. The intricate footwork, combined with the weight of the dress, makes jingle dress dancing both an art form and an athletic achievement.
Jingle Dress Dancing Classroom Resources
Learning about jingle dress dancing can be a fun classroom activity for indigenous peoples’ day. The resources below can be used while listening to the podcast.
