Footwork for Fancy Shawl and Jingle Dress Dancers 

Im a white foster mom and the county has only ever referred ICWA cases to me - which should be illegal, but there are no more Indigenous foster homes available bc CPS stays targeting Native people more than anyone else. These videos have helped several of the kids in my care stay connected and practice, because I can't teach them and they deserve to learn. Thank you ❤

My great grandma was put into white Christian foster care, made to marry a man at 15, made to raise her children and grandchildren in assimilated protection: live white and you will be safer. But not me. Not this great grandchild. I am proud cherokee. I am PROUD! thank you for helping me heal my family by teaching me dance so I may dance where my ancestors were told to sit still and prayx

I’m oglala lakota and I’ve been dancing since the beginning of the year and your intro is such a good reminder for why I continue dancing. I’m always worried about what I look like, if i’m doing it right, or if i’m even good enough to be fancy dancing. I need to get out of that mindset and just dance from the heart. Just keep dancing and practice practice practice 💃

OMG I didnt know that native dancing had so many different steps. Ive gone to pow wows and the dancers make it seem so easy. I am fascinated by Native American culture. I understand fully your, and your people's pain. And i admire and respect your brave and resilient spirit. Keep strong. Keep brave.

I danced when I was younger but was adopted out of my tribe. I never danced again after that. I never got to go to pow wows or learn my culture. 22 now and slowly learning again. Thank you for these videos!!

I’m Lakota Sioux and started learning to bead 8 years ago and my grandpa always wanted me to dance in powwows. He died when I was learning how to make moccasins and it’s been a struggle learning how to dance and make things for dancing on my own and relearn the my own culture. I’m glad I found your video.

I’m learning jingle dancing right now and I hope soon when COVID is over I can dance in a Pow-Wow rather than just watching the dancers dance. Im African-American and Indigenous. I’m reconnecting with my roots more and more everyday, and learning my language too. Chi Miigwetch for this video!! ❤️❤️❤️

Ever since I was like 7years old but no family relatives would teach me. So made me feel like they wanted only 2 other girls as dancers cause relatives would support them so much. I love watching powwows, so beautiful. I’m 33, regret that I didn’t allow myself to dance as my choice instead letting family chose. Told my daughters I’ll support and find people who will teach them if they want to dance.

Love this!! I’m slowly learning/living our beautiful culture. I’ve started to teach myself to braid my hair. Learning as I go 😊

i'm so glad someone shared this in an fb group i'm in. I'm anishinaabe (hey fellow ojibway lol) but I have no like. immediate connections to my people or our culture because i'm displaced. bascially the moment I began reconnecting with my culture and my people I wanted to dance at powwows, but I have no mentors, no regalia, and of course no powwows to attend because of covid. at least now I have this so I can learn the moves! chii miigwetch for uploading these, i'm so grateful

I'm non native but I've always been fascinated by native american culture and now with the help of my boyfriend (a lakota and fancy dancer) I'm learning to fancy shawl dance. Thank you so much for this video.

I love this video. I saved it so my babies can watch it over and over. I’m entering the Wacipi (Pow Wow) Circle for the first time. I’m mid 30’s and have no idea where to start. Your tutorials are helping my babies get the footwork down. One is going fancy shawl and other is jingle dress. Thank you for creating this video. Wopila!

Almost every student in my class is a pow wow dancer and I really love watching pow wow’s with my friends I really would like to be a powwow dancer this is why I go to powwows so I can learn how to dance fancy

I'm from the Crow Nation and I started practicing fancy dancing when I was 10. I haven't done it for a few years now, but me and my kaala are gonna make me a regalia so I wanna get back into powwow dancing again

A lot of these moves remind me of Irish step dancing. It's always so fascinating when completely different cultures have similar dance moves.

These videos always make me happy, cuz I never learned anything about my culture (Sichagu Teton). So I really need this :)

I am residential survivor, I was introduced my culture when I was ten old years. I was dance woman fancy, I love this , now I am jingle dancer. My name is warclub woman. I listen to powwow music and watch video when I am not traveling stay home, keep up the video teaching our dancing steps.

Hello I am Maya I'm 8 years old I've been dancing since I was five and you help me so much to pow wow dance and you help me so much

I always felt so disconnected, or out of place since I didn’t grow up spiritual and in touch with my culture (I don’t know my language either). My family has endured so much intergenerational trauma from the genocide of our people, it’s no surprise they werent either. I hope to dance shawl for my dad someday, wela’lin for sharing your teachings ❤️

Beautiful dancing, love your leggings and Mocs. I shared your video with some young ladies wanting to learn to dance. Dancing is the one place I feel safe and I pray so hard for those who can’t. Wela’lin for sharing.

Chi migwetch ❤️ I’m from the Potawatomi tribe and used to dance when I was a kid. I’m 19 now and want to get back into my roots. Great video

So I wasn’t raised very close my culture at all but started reconnecting on my own a couple years ago. I’ve always loved jingle and am so mesmerized by it, but am not totally sure if it would be appropriate for me to learn. I have only ever done traditional stomp dancing and have been shaking for several years now but I feel the urge to learn more of that makes sense. I am enrolled Chickasaw and have other tribes mixed in as well. I really am a white passing gathering of the nations.😂

Sometimes I forget that even though I'm pale I'm allowed to be a part of my own culture

I’m Indian and I just think that the indigenous culture is just absolutely beautiful❤️ and I hate how the little kids were just ripped out of there homes and it really makes me sad because no one deserves that. God Bless you

I haven’t danced in a decade. As a child going through a lot of bad stuff growing up I forgot my appreciation for what I wanted to learn and be good at in order to bring pride to my culture. I’m also Ojibway from the turtle mountains and quietly I’m trying to relearn what I tried hard to excel at as a kid. Thank you for the videos, you provided me a teacher when I knew no one else to ask. Thank you.

Thank you so much my great grandmother and her two sisters were taken to residential school so they hardly talked about the language and traditions they were all born miwok under a tree in Yosemite

Âmbawathtich (hello in my native Language) I’m am learning jingle and fancy because i have always been in spired by all native dancers, i always wanted to be a dancer ever since i was 4 when i saw my first powwow, i saw how pretty everyone was in the ring where the dancers dance i always thought one day i would be there too, so thats why I’m learning how to dance and its not perfect but I’m still trying. Because I’m not giving up, no not even close to giving up

That beadwork is amazing, and your dance moves even more so. 😮

Thank you for this and for all the videos you create! Shared this with our youth at our Native center pow wow class and they all appreciated it.

I'm so glad that I found this channel and this video. I'm Kanien’kèha (Mohawk), and because of family rifts, I’ve been very distanced from my roots and culture. The opener for this video touched my heart so deeply, and I’m so immensely grateful to you for this video, as well as others on this topic. Nia:wen

You are totally awesome with pure HEART in the explaining of the fancy footwork involved.This looks so tiring and to control your breathing at the same time,lot's of work..Meegwech!

Hi there! My name is mya and I'm 14! I'm half métis and half african i really want to learn how to jingle dance my cookem taught me a little bit but not much so thank u so much for this video! I was wondering if u could do a short video on how to do heal toe step by step! I know it may seem like an easy step but for me it's really confuseing since I'm a beginner thanks! :)

Thank you for all of your videos and I feel so inspired in my own dance journey. I am dancer. It's similar style it's shuffling and I feel like I finally understand why I'm drawn to dance with the intentions I put into them. Your words really resonated with me.

I'm now learning jingle dress dancer, and I'm going to be practicing more. Thank you for the steps and it helped a lot.

Thank you so much! Going to tackle each step one at a time and try my first dance at pow wow in a year! I've learned how much connecting to my culture, especially dance, helps heal and I thank you for helping us who didn't have access to this growing up have access now. ❤ Ahéhee

I danced when I was younger but covid came and then I stopped and this helped me remember how ❤️

I've been going to pow wows with my Road Dawg, who is a tribal elder. I LOVE watching her granddaughters and great-granddaughters carry on the traditions.

masterclass from the master

The feet movement was so clean!

Same as my Sweet Momma who lives through Residential school she’s passed now 2021 on her birthday. Thank you for keeping our culture live through dance God bless you ❤️‍🩹

The beginning of your video made me teary eyed. Loved it so much!!!@

Pow wow dancing is very educational it dont matter what part of the day you pow wowing it make your day bless if we learn native American language its a way of how we get alongwith eachother this young lady is a good pow wow teacher take care your friend Robert have a good day God bless all of you bye everybody

i’ve watched a few of these videos they rlly help and the sound of your mocs tapping the mat scratches my brain perfectly😭

As a guy preparing for a switch dance this was very helpful

This helped me get better with my jingle footwork

Who else is here because they love mother earths heartbeats ❤

Thank you. I am learning so much. I was part of the 60 Scoop and of those who were forcibly sterilized. So learning my language & culture is difficult but I am healing from it. Thank you so much for your teachings. Miigwetch.

i want to fancy shawl sooo bad😭 it’s literally so beautiful.

ive wanted to start powwow dancing, and learning my language, my jaban (great grandmother) speaks Cree and english. it seems difficult to talk to her at times.

I'm learning different language in grade 4 in school and I'm getting really good at the jingle dancing and I'm 9 Years old and someone is going to make me the jingle dress kokom told me that and I'm so excited!! :D

I appreciate your tutorials. Your good energy really shines through✨✨✨

I'm a jingle dress dancer and I'm trying to impress my footwork 🥴 snice I only started dancing I'm 2018 so this helps a lot

You are a beautiful soul my sister, and a beautiful dancer. ~RavenCro

Wow thats great. I love this. I learn the Powwow Dance ....this is a great warm up for my indigen Workout

Thank you so much as an Anishinaabekwe. I'm mixed blood but my god, dancing makes me feel so good. Thank you thank you. ❤

Thank you so much for this. I'm Ojibwe but don't speak too much of the language either and I'm trying to get into dancing. I'm excited, and your videos help me a lot! ❤️

Thank you so much for this. So many more young indigenous need to find these places and videos and these teachings to remind them they aren't alone, and that the colonial path is no longer the only one allowed to exist anymore. How interconnected we are from Carrier, to Ojibway, to Secwempemc, Chilcoltin, Dakota, Cree and Cherokee and all the may different tribes alike and different on our recovering continent. Thank you so much for your knowledge and your strength. I respect you and your individuality and unity within your own and other cultures and the emotional and spiritual work you are doing for our people to regain our strength as nation's again, woman and man alike. Aye aye.

On my mothers side of the family is chaktaw and my dad is ojibwa so i love my culture

I recently began learning how to dance (Jingle), and this video is AMAZING. Im learning so much here, THANK YOU!!!!

Omg...so beautifully complicated.

Thank you so muchhh. I know my culture and such and all but I’m jus to scared to dance when everyone is looking but I’m gonna try harder.

Thank you for your videos. I'm adopted out from the Northern Cheyenne tribe. I never got to learn how to dance and now I am able to learn from you.❤

Sending so much love. I was adopted out as an infant and it was allowed because I was born off my reservation. But I eventually found my way back. I’m still trying to learn my language (Nde) and our ways. One thing I really want to learn more of is Women’s Old Style Fancy. I don’t see much of it any I’m in love with it. :)

This has been so incredibly helpful. I’m suquamish and white and I grew up in the suburbs very very far from any of my culture. I’ve been trying to teach myself everything, and in preparation for a powwow I’m planning at my high school, I’m teaching myself to powwow dance. So far, it’s been such an incredible journey to push myself physically and mentally, and it’s felt so liberating to be able to do it

I luv this i need to be working on my powwow dance and you helped me sooo MUCH LOVE YOU UTUBE!!!thank you for sharing this with us😊

I always wanted to be a jingle dress dancer as a kid. Livin my little girl dreams by learning these ♡ miigwetch ♡♡

I’ve Jingle dress before and i already know how to do this

Thank you so much for these videos! My sister sent your videos to me and I absolutely love them. Seeing different moves step by step is always amazing when learning and I cant wait to try them out!

You are truly awesome. That's some really beautiful and captivating footwork . Thank you for taking the time.

I love this! I wasnt aware until now bit I'm very familiar with the footwork. We use them in breakdancing and dub stepping. Many of our instructors notify us that the styles comes from our ancestors.

Can you upload videos of all the meals you grew up with? A thorough, step-by-step presentation of mom's food...? 😌

Really appreciate the videos. And some of the videos when you make a new one can you face the wall so it’s a little easier to follow

Well done ! Me Gwetch for sharing ❤❤❤

Miigwech!!!!! im gona practice all the time and shine !! :)

Alot of energy and work needed I love this awesome thanks I'm gonna start practicing a bit 😁

hey! thank you SO MUCH. nobody in my family danced so I have nobody to teach me. I appreciate this so much thank you

Awesome production!

One thing I'd like to see, is different practices for basic things. Just cuz I (and many others) am starting with absolutely zero knowledge. Love ur vids btw♥️💛⚪🖤

Thank you so much… I guess I have known these just never broke it down so I could understand it more

Iam Algonquin and to be honest I don’t know anything about my culture not even my language, I went to a white school and my parents don’t hunt as much anymore, they still speak their language but never passed it on to us, me and my siblings, I really want to start dancing and learning more

Same with me and my chickasaw^ness! YESSSSSS DANCE AND SHAKE FOR ALL WHO CANT!!!!!!!

thank you so much for this video!!! i am acjachemen and our native lands are current day San Diego, california. thank you so much for making these videos!!!!! they helped my dancing SO MUCH!!!! 🥺

I love it! you are inspiring!

I get what your saying, my family does not even know their tribe name sometimes and it breaks me that only my grandmother knows and that her mother was taken from us, I hate it, I am mixed with 4 different tribes, including african american, itailain and white and dont know an lot of things,sense I am 14, I'm trying to learn more things about my culture sense I am seen as more Native in my family, I dont like what happend so i look up to people like you who still fight to keep our culture alive ❤ an tribe my grandmother said that she was apart of is quatra, an tribe that has fallen which makes me sad, we are also blackfoot and the other 2 from my dad remains unknown, we Natives will stick together and stand strong no matter how much is fallen❤

Love your Smudge Life shirt!

I had a dream about shawl dancing so chi miigwetch for sharing this, was exactly what I'm looking for 😁 love and light kwe 💞

Thank you so much for teaching this to others!! I’m learning to do fancy dancing right now (changing from Jingle to Fancy) and this helped me so much!!

Hey Deanna. I watched this video and took notes. Thank you.

Thank you! Messi! 🙏🏽I will be using your teaching content for my learning.

You're a beautiful dancer

My hubby wants to see me shuffle dance 🤦‍♀️ I told him powwow dancing is honestly the same thing (he don't think so) so I watched a few of your recent videos and I use to be a jingle dress dancer so I'm familiar with the steps. Anyways.. I think I'm ready to show him how to shuffle now 😁😁

thank you for this. I'm jingle dress dancing for the first time again after 3 years after retiring it while i started to learn who I was(I'm still trying to find myself, but I know i am two spirited at least). while I still don't know if I'll return to jingle dress dancing completely, i am doing this for a previous mentor. so thank you for making this video.

I'm learning fancy dancing right now and I started before covid but with covid killing pow wow season it really put a damper on everything and I started to doubt myself even though my elders have been very supportive and I'm half Cherokee and half Hispanic and I spent the majority of my life in dance traditional Hispanic dancing from the countries my father and his parents are from so I add a little Spanish flair and double step to everything and it's very unnecessary and it makes everything so much harder because I'm trying to do what has come natural to me since 9 years old when I began dancing in Puerto Rican Day parades and Cinco de Mayo parades with the group of Latina dancers at my school and I kept doing it into my adult life even professionally so it's so ingrained in me it's harder to learn another dance that is so important to me and I feel like I just mess it up a lot and it takes me longer to get the footwork down but I owe it to my ancestors and my elders and everyone that came before me especially my grandparents who raised me until I was in second grade and always were there for me ever since as well they went through a lot just as your family went through a lot just as we are still all going through a lot and I will get this dance down, and your video is very very helpful as I live pretty far away from our territory in Oklahoma where my remaining family is it's hard to learn over FaceTime but it's all I have and I'm happy that I have it and we're going back to visit soon and hopefully my footwork will be better than it is now, but I just wanted to tell you I really appreciate this video because I need to do this and I remember watching my auntie's dance when I was younger and my cousin's dance and asking my grandfather when will it be my turn when will I be old enough and with just knowing basic stomp dance I always felt like I wasn't going to grow up fast enough to learn because I was so eager so now that I am older and my time has come I'm going to make sure that I take advantage of being able to do it. Wado. That is how my people say thank you, Wado.

Wow good words. Thank you.

I’m mixed native and I grew up knowing I was native and we are kinda connected to our culture in some ways like we grew up w traditional teachings and our food and I want to start powwow dancing but I feel like “I’m not native enough” or “ i look to white” and I feel like I can’t bc I’m not as connected as other people I know

Thank you, thank you!!! You are doing powerful work, young lady. Keep it up! What is your name? I want to feature you on my TikTok. Much love and respect.

genuinely so amazing your amazing

My grandfather tells story's ever Christmas as once he told us that they didn't even teach him English. He got beaten for speaking his native tongue and was forced to pick English up on his own

Love this!! Keep it up. And yes, your language was taken away. You can take it back! Revitalize and Indigenize! 💖

this is amazing