Gourd Dance

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A Northern Ute dancer performs the Gourd Dance to "cleanse" the arena for the powwow grand entry, while women "nurture" their warriors from the sideline. The dancer depicted here is Clifford Duncan of the Northern Ute Tribe, the religious leader of the North American Native American Church in Utah.

The Gourd Dance is a type of dance performed by some Native American nations, especially those of the Southern Plains region of the United States. Though often associated with a pow-wow, the Gourd Dance has its own unique style and customs. Gourd Dancing may precede the pow-wow, or it can be a separate event, not directly connected with a pow-wow. The Gourd Dance and the traditions of the Native American Church (NAC) evolved together, with the Gourd Dance incorporating many elements found in the NAC religion, including peyote rattles, waterbird symbolism, and the red and blue sash, which are also the official colors of the Native American Church.

1 Participation
2 Dress
3 Music and choreography
4 Sources
5 Notes

[edit] Participation

A Warriors (Male) Gourd Dance Eagle Fan. This Gourd Dance Shield Fan is made from immature bald eagle feathers. The handle of this fan was made from the branch of a tree struck by lightning, and the handle of the fan has been stitched, bound, and fringed with bison hide.

The Gourd Dance originated with the Kiowa tribe. One must be aware that this dance is primarily a "man's" dance, meaning a dance for men. Women participate by dancing in place behind their male counterparts and outside the perimeter formed by the men. There is a misconception about this being a veterans' dance but it is not required to be a veteran to participate. The dance in the Kiowa Language is called "ti-ah pi-ah" which means "ready to go, ready to die".

Many Gourd Dances allow anyone to participate if they are willing to follow the appropriate customs. The Kiowa consider this dance as their dance since it was given to them by "Red Wolf". It has spread to many other tribes and societies, most of which do not have the blessing of the Kiowa Elders. Some gourd societies do not distinguish race as a criteria, and even non-Indian veterans can and are inducted into the Gourd Society. Many participants may be older men, and the dance is less energetic and less physically demanding than most pow-wow dances. Another distinction between Gourd Dancing and pow-wow dancing is that it is common for the Gourd Dancers to be dressed in "western" attire (for example jeans and cowboy boots or sneakers) rather than in full dance regalia. Some of the Gourd Dances that are held go on all afternoon and on into the evening when it finally cools off enough so that more energetic Intertribal dances can begin. Some Tribal dances feature only Gourd Dancing.

[edit] Dress

A Warriors (Male) Gourd Dance Shawl. Military Decorations are affixed to the blue half of the shawl and Native American motifs and patches are affixed to the red half of the shawl. This shawl belongs to a Cherokee and has an emblem of the sacred spider, the bringer of the sacred fire to the Cherokee People.

The dress of a Gourd Dancer is characterized by three major items: a sash, a feathered fan (typically of eagle or hawk feathers), and a rattle, which is traditionally made from a gourd, but today is constructed by many dancer from items such as tin cans, aluminum salt shakers, turtle shells and bison horns. The fill is typically ant mound pebbles, but many use buckshot or even dried corn kernels. The gourd sash is tied around the waist. The gourd blanket may be worn over the shoulders or around the waist. Many veterans pin their military insignias onto their blankets.

[edit] Music and choreography

Both a Man's (right) and Womans (left) Gourd Dance Necklaces. The Man's Necklace is made from Buffalo horn pipe, red mescal beans, bear claws, and elk teeth to represent long life. The Woman's Necklace is made from the long wing bones of a bald eagle, red mescal beans, and eagle talons. Both of these particular necklaces also use 150 year old French trade beads called Chevrons.

Like pow-wow dancing, Gourd Dancing is performed in a circular arena. The drum is usually located in the center of the arena, though it can occasionally be located off to one side. The dancers take their place around the perimeter of the area. During most of the song, the dancers dance in place, lifting their feet in time to the drumbeats, and shaking their rattles.

Typically, the dance begins at noon, and the opening song (referred to as a "Calling Song") is performed first. Four rounds of four songs each are performed in a traditional Gourd Dance with breaks in between each round. The final dance song of a Gourd Dance is called the "Buffalo" song and concludes a Gourd Dance session. Most pow-wows that feature Gourd Dancing will host two Gourd Dance sessions per day. Gourd Dancers always use Southern Drums. Tribes which dance in the Northern Drum style do not typically perform Gourd Dances.

The dance is rich with symbolism. It is believed by some Native Groups that the performance of the dance "cleanses" the arena prior to the pow-wow.^[1], however, by Gourd Dance tradition, it is typically customary for the Native Tribe on whose ancestral lands the dance is performed on to bless the dance grounds prior to a Gourd Dance. Gourd Dance necklaces and bandeliers are often made from brass bullet casings and red mescal bean (Sophora Secundiflora) with bone pipe and buffalo horn.