Pow Wow Dances

Some say the modern day Pow Wow competition dance known as the Ladies Fancy Shawl Dance has its roots in a ceremonial dance called the Butterfly Dance. Here is a Cherokee account of how that dance came to be.

At Crow Fair in Montana, I was told another story about the Fancy Shawl Dance. While the Crow people also equate this dance form as an expression of re-emergence and renewal of life forces, they have a very different explanation of how it began. Their version goes like this:

This article gives a general overview of the proper attire for a Fancy Shawl Dancer. Rather than the double-bustle the early Crow girls wore to dance the Fancy Dance, today’s Fancy Shawl dancer wears a dress made of a shiny fabric such as taffeta or satin.