AHSTONWA'KO:WA Great Feather Dance

Submitted by NNATC

The Great Feather Dance belongs to all life and is one of the Creator’s truly great songs. I have heard some of our elders and this is what they said:

“The Great Feather Dance is so powerful that when it is sung and the people dance to it, the entire life forms of the world become instantly energized.”

They told us that the turtle rattle is the instrument used and is representative of the Earth Mother. As the rattle is played it is said that all the earth wakes up and earth’s life moves exactly as the turtle rattle moves.

The elders said that when the Great Feather Dance is going on, all people who are grateful for their life will show the Creator this through their participation and the fancy movements of their arms and legs and body. This will give proof to the Creator how thankful we are. If there are old people who are not able to walk well then it is said they will make three complete circles of the dance and that would be sufficient. If someone is crippled then they will sit with the singers in the middle of the floor and that would be sufficient. The outer circle is that of men and the inner circle is that of women.

During the sets of songs of the Great Feather Dance the dancers answer the singers by three cries or yells. One old person told me that these three cries or yells represents when the Creator or twin blew three breaths of life into the dolls causing the human race. This elder said that when you are a dancer and during the time of Tensewahen:rehte (you all will yell), look for a tree outside and throw your voice to its base and the branch ends of the tree points in all directions including the roots. It will send your voice of rejoicement to all the life forms of the world. During Tensewahen:rehte the minds of the dancers would contain such thoughts as these: The world witnesses my being for I am a Hotinonhshon:ni. Humbly, gratefully and sincerely I dance in gratitude, nia:wen Sonkwaiatison. It is also stressed by the elders and faith keepers that before joining in the actual dance one must rectify any bad feelings and clear the mind of whatever may be offensive to the Creator, people and all life forms in general.

The Great Feather Dance is done at all the nation ceremonies except Ohkhi:we. It is also done at the Friendship Ceremony (Medicine Festival) in private homes to seal the bond of friendship. There is much more than what I have thus far described about the Feather Dance. If all things are followed correctly in one’s preparation it is said by the elders that it appears as if the dancers of the Great Feather Dance are about six inches from the ground. It is a really powerful and sacred dance.