How to Have A Social Dance

Continued from last week

Reprinted from Rotinonhsión:ni Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Social Dances booklet.

(Men’s Personal Thanksgiving Chant)

Aton:wa

The Aton:wa song is not considered a dance. Each individual sings a song in thanks for all the life-giving forces that sustain us. These songs are a part of the Four Sacred Rituals. There are certain chants that go with this song to make it complete. These songs are used for the name giving of children or the new born. There are no instruments used, only the stomping of the feet, clapping of the hands and the chanting of each individual male.

Stirring of the Ashes

Tehon;kenhrawenrie’

Stirring of the Ashes song is not considered a dance either. It is a walking song where a long stick or paddle is used by the singer as he walks to each comer of the building. This song takes place during the Midwinter Ceremony in all Longhouses across the Six Nations. The first thing that takes place is the Chiefs, Faithkeepers and Clanmothers will prepare the delegates known as the Big Heads to inform all the families that the Midwinter Ceremonies are ready to begin. The Big heads will then renew all the family fires by stirring the ashes in each family home. This is when the Big Heads sing the Stirring of the Ashes song. After going from house to house they go to the Longhouse to renew the main fire. There are about ten verses to the song. One song is sung when the Big Heads go house to house and the remainder are sung at the Longhouse. There are no musical instruments used for these songs.

Thunder Dance

The Thunder Dance is a fast footed men’s dance that is done to welcome back the thunder in the Spring time. This dance is also done in the Fall time to thank the thunderers for coming again to perform their duty so that the plant life continues to grow. There is a lot of foot work and a lot of arm work to this dance. The Thunder Dance is done in two ways. The first way is: the men form two separate lines facing each other. After the third verse is sung, the lead dancer will signal the rest of the dancers to cross over so the two lines meet in the center. The second way is: that the dancers will take up a position in their own little area, wherever they wish, and put their arms and legs (footwork) into motion when dancing. The musical instruments used are the water drum and the horn rattles.

The Old Women’s Dance

karennaka:ion Tsionahthonwisenhneha

The Old Women’s Dance, a sacred dance, is a little bit different from the New Women’s shuffle dance. The footwork is a shuffling motion in a sideways position instead of a forward shuffle. There are two types of women’s dances done at the ceremonies in the Longhouse. The first, the sideways shuffle, is done only at Harvest and Midwinter ceremonies. The second Tsionahthonwisenhneha Women’s Dance is done at the Maple, Seeds, Strawberry and Green Corn ceremonies. The step forward shuffle is used by the women dancers in honor of the women, for all the food that they have prepared for the ceremonies and for the work they do for their families and community. In the Women’s Dance the first song is dedicated to the head woman, which is our Mother Earth. When the second song or verse begins then the women will join the actual dance.

The New Women’s Dance

Tsionhathonwisenhneha

The New Women’s Shuffle Dance has many many songs, perhaps hundreds, perhaps thousands. Every six months the different singing societies get together at an appointed time and place to sing . Communities across the Six Nations to present New Women’s dance songs that the group have made up. Some are popular, some are not, but the ones that are popular spread across the Six Nations and every One memorizes them. This dance, feet shuffling in a sideways motion, is in honor of women. The feet never leave the ground or floor meaning the women and earth are related. The musical instruments used are the water drum and the horn rattles.

Robin Dance

Tsiskokoneha

The Robin Dance has a head singer and an assistant. Everybody stands sideways in a single file. It is a flat footed side-step dance. Halfway through the song the lead singer will give a signal to make a complete turn facing outward instead of inward. This dance means that a robin is looking for food for her little baby robins by jumping backwards and then forward, and tracking down the worm. This dance is in honour of the bird life which keeps us human beings amused by their singing. The musical instruments used are the horn rattles.

To be continued.