DANCE

During my early childhood, I took ballet and later transitioned into more modern styles of dance, including jazz and tap. I competed in these forms for two years and also participated in cheer for five years.

While I enjoyed those experiences and recognize how they contributed to my development, it wasn’t until I was first introduced to fancy shawl and hoop dance that I felt a deeper sense of purpose, and one that connected me more intimately to my culture and my ancestors. The freedom and expression these dances allow is indescribable.

These are dances my Grammies and Granny were never given the chance to learn, due to the forced assimilation they experienced through residential and day school systems.

In many ways, dancing now feels like an act of healing and reclamation. I feel a purposeful connection to them, an opportunity to experience and honor the parts of our culture they were denied. It feels like, through each step, I’m helping to free the parts of their spirits that were bound by cultural genocide and generational trauma.