Originating from the tribes of Canada, the Jingle dress is relatively new to the southern plains. In the last few years, ladies of other tribes have begun to learn the dance and perform in competition. The Jingle Dress is also called a prayer dress, meant as a way to heal sickness - to heal any kind of mental, physical and emotional illness - that might plague a person. The dress has many different versions of origin stories, but they all have one central meaning: the dress was made for healing. Here is one version (and the most popular) of the story:

A medicine man's graddaughter was very ill. He had a deam in which he was told to make a Jingle Dress. In his dream, he was told how to make the dress, and was shown the dance steps. When he awoke, he and his wife proceeded to assemble the dress as described in the dream. When they finished the dress, they and others brought his granddaughter the dress and she put it on. She was taken out into the dance circle, and at first, had to be carried. As she went around, she was able to start walking, but with aid, then she got well enough to dance. It is said that the granddaughter lived for many years, to see her grandchildren grown.

The Jingle Dress is made up of rows of jingles, made from rolled up snuff can lids, hung with ribbon fringe. The rows are then sewn onto a dress, in any design, from straight, to zig zag patterns. The dress can be very basic in style, or have intricate ribbon and beadwork. The possibilities are endless!

The dance itself is to incorporate the sound of the jingles by allowing them to move and jingle against one another. The steps are controlled and do not involve high kicking and twirls. Jingle dancers weave in and out around the drum, keeping in step, for if they are off beat, everyone will know! Like a Women's Northern Traditional dancer, the Jingle dancer raises her fan with honor beats, in respect. If one closes their eyes during a Jingle Dance, the soft clinking and rustling that the dresses make, sounds like rain on a roof.

This page was set up on October 12, 1997.

Last updated September 8, 1998.