Next generation takes on dancing tradition

Page 6

A happy event in the family of John and Bernadine Graham-anticipation of a new little traditional dancer or mutton buster-has given 12-year-old daughter Shanell a chance to carry on the jingle dress tradition, picking up where her mom has left off. With several generations of jingle dancers in the family, the transition has been seamless.

"I started dancing when I was a little girl, with my four brothers and three sisters," said Bernadine. "My mom made all of our outfits for us and as we grew older, she taught us how to bead and sew. Once we learned how to sew, she stopped making our outfits for us. We had to do all our own sewing, including regalia for our brothers. This taught us that we had to take care of our dresses. If somebody else is making your outfits, you don't learn to take as much care of them as you should."

As the years passed her brothers and sisters quit dancing, but encouraged by other family members, Bernadine continued to dance and travel the powwow circuit in Canada and down into the States.

When the children started dancing, they began to love powwow as much as their parents did.

"John and I wanted to teach the children about our Native traditions and instill in them how beautiful our culture is, with a pride and respect for everything around you. We didn't want our children to think that powwow is just a competition and that winning is everything. So many people go for the competition and money, and I believe there is so much more. It is a time for camping, visiting, relaxing and socializing, sharing tradition and learning good sportsmanship. We are teaching them that good sportsmanship means that if you don't win, be happy for the people that do. Where else could you learn so much about life?" said Bernadine.

The four Graham children had also been involved over the years in sheep busting, steer riding and barrel racing with their dad, a bronc and bull rider.

"I hated watching my husband John bronc riding bareback, which seemed so rough and dangerous. He always wanted that silver buckle. I tried to talk him out of riding bulls, but nothing could change his mind once it was made up. He did really well in rodeo and earned a lot of respect, but with a recent injury to a vertebrae, has decided to go into semi retirement. Concern for our 'new addition' has made him take a second look, for his own personal safety and well being of our family."

With a new baby on the way, and kids eager to dance, the family has decided to focus on powwow.

The decision to hand on the jingle dress tradition to daughter Shanell was based on her evolving dancing style. Originally a fancy shawl dancer, Shanell had developed the poise, style and discipline necessary to start learning the old traditional jingle dress style from her mother.

Inheriting her mother's jingle dance dresses was a bonus.

"With the way she holds her body and her natural poise, Shanell is a natural. At the age of 12, she also fits into all of my outfits, including the new one I was making before I found out I was expecting," Bernadine said.

Her younger sister Shelby, a fancy shawl dancer, is also starting to show interest in the jingle dress style.

"The girls really love the old traditional 'squaw dance' step," said Bernadine.

Traditional jingle dress stylists keep their dance steps low to the ground, signifying a close connection with the healing power of Mother Earth. The squaw dance steps move to a round dance beat, a little bit faster, with feet held close together in a tight sideways movement, signifying the healing power of the jingle dress.

"I like the squaw dance because it is so different from all the other dances. We do the crow hop where you have to jump up high and the squaw dance steps in which you keep your feet together with a shuffling sideways step, hard to do, but fun and challenging to get just right. I really like the old traditional style and come up with my own moves as well, my own signature style," said Shanell

Following family tradition, Shanell is earning the right to wear jingle dress regalia, learning to bead, sew, design and take care of her outfits.

"My mother is teaching my sister and I to sew and bead and look after our regalia. I also do my own French braiding and headdress ornaments. At the end of a day's dancing, we pack our outfits in a suitcase and put our feathers in a book to keep them safe. We wash our dresses very carefully, by hand," said Shanell. "I think jingle dress dancing is a lot of fun and I hope that more young girls will be able to follow their dream and dance.