Native American

in North America
Angela Degollado, Emina Hadrovic, Douglas McKay, Lysha Cruzatt
Professor Brain Benington
13 December 2017
Final Group Assignment
 History

The Chicken dance is one of the oldest dances, and started as a

religious society known as the "Kiitokii Society". The origins of
this dance come from the Blackfoot Country, and the dance is
said to have come from the prairie chicken's spring time mating
dance.

The traditional regalia worn by the chicken dancers have not

changed much; with regalia that includes a head roach, breech
cloth, round bells, and a small feather bustle. The dance is
done in mimicking the mating dance of the Prairie Chicken that
we see in the prairies

Angela Degollado
Chicken Dance

This is called the Chicken

Dance. Many people would
of seen this at a pow wow,
but the origins is what
brings the soul to this
sacred dance. The
Prairie Chicken Dance is
one of the oldest forms
of Native American
dancing.

Angela Degollado
Angela Degollado
 Dancers

Outfit had a cape, side panels, and aprons. Instead of going

completely old style by wearing nothing underneath those
aprons, he opted for some black tights and a long-sleeved black
shirt. As Ruben Littlehead, MC at the Sho-Ban Festival held in
August, said, Sometimes, men wear stretchy pants.
The dancer in the chicken dance are male only. The dance
starts with a group, as the men or boy compete till there is one
winner.
The dancers are mimicking the chicken, thus giving the name.

Angela Degollado
Angela Degollado
Fort Hall, Idaho
Arbor

Angela Degollado
 "The Gift of the Prairie Chicken Nation"

Long, long ago, legend tells of a Warrior who was out hunting.
As he was searching for food he came upon a thumping noise
that resonated through the earth. The mans curiosity impelled
him to search further and follow the strange vibrations traveling
up through him body. As he walked closer, the sound became
louder and more intense, and when he reached to area where
the noise was resonating from he saw a group of Prairie
Chickens dancing in the long grass.

Angela Degollado
Angela Degollado
 How chicken dance got its name
So, as the Warrior watches one particular Prairie Chicken doing his dance, he lifts up
his bow, aims and kills it. The Warrior takes the Prairie Chicken back to his camp and
the women cook it up and everyone feasts on it. As the night progresses and
everyone is full, a clam befalls the camp and all settle down to sleep for the night.
The Warrior quickly falls into slumber and as he is in a deep sleep, the Prairie
Chickens spirit appears to him in his dream. Why did you kill me? , he said to the
Warrior, for I was doing a sacred dance for my great Nation. The Warrior replied
with great appreciation for the Prairie Chickens sacrifice, My family was hungry
and needed to eat. The Prairie Chicken understood the Warriors needs and
accepted his humble reply by honoring him and teaching him the sacred dance of the
Prairie Chicken Nation. As the sun rose in the sky, and the Warrior awoke from his
dream, he told his people about the Prairie Chickens visit and the gift he gave to the
People.

Angela Degollado
Angela Degollado
 Movement of the Dancers

At many powwows, the chicken dance is its own category along

with mens fancy, traditional, and grass. No longer do chicken
dancers have to compete with grass and traditional dancers, now
they have their own category. The movements are mimicking the
prairie chicken and has become a style on its own over years. If a
powwow lacks a category, there is sure to be a huge special to
honor the chicken dancers. To put it simply, the chicken dance is
kind of a big deal and a crowd favorite.

Angela Degollado
Angela Degollado
 Music

The music come from the

drummers, that sit around the
arbor while the dancers are
dancing inside of the arbor in a
circle.

Angela Degollado
Native American Oppression

Historically in the United States, Native Americans have been

oppressed.
This has affected their expression of their culture by making it
essential to continuing on traditions.
They use their dances to continue ancient life ways and affirm
their Indian identities.

Emina
How were they oppressed?

Native Americans were discriminated.

They were not treated as people.
The pilgrims took their land and tried to stop their culture.
They did this because they were different.

Emina
What happened because of their oppression?

Their oppression influenced them to continue on their culture.

Everything they went through, they still were able to keep their
dances and traditional ways.
The evolution of their dance continued on to show their
experience of oppression.
Now they have celebrations to show of their cultural differences.

Emina
Douglas M.
Oppression or Privilege experienced

The Shoshone Tribe are still having their lands encroached on.

The U.S Government uses terms like aboriginal to diminish

their legacy as a nation.

Some Native American still do not have running water.

While inhabiting an area , the U.S government permit

themselves to mine and build in those areas.

Douglas M.
 Current Oppression

Struggle to find housing, while facing discrimination.

Many are forced to living with their families. Making households
overly crowded.
1 in 4 has experienced housing discrimination.
Long wait times to build homes and small caps on amount of
homes they can build on reservations.

Douglas M.
Douglas M.
 What Native American contributed to
America Culture

Tough how to fertilize the land

with burying a whole fish in the
crops the help grow.
Tough the men how to hunt and
prepare for the winter weather.
Tough the women how to cook all
natural sources.
Sign language was also used
because of the differences in
language.
 Traditions and dance evolved

Just like every other dance culture keeping up with, the jones,
making your dance stand out in the crowd. Some of the Native
Americans have brought break dancing moves into the chicken
dance.
 Conclusion

In conclusion, we have learn to appreciate Native Americans

because of there strength and eagerness to survive in the world
with nothing but natures resources. In outfits changes with
throughout the years from wearing heavier and fuller outfits and
now a days its lighter with less clothing. Overall Native American
have been oppressed but they fought to keep their culture alive.
 Work Cited

Heth, Charlotte. "DANCE." Encyclopedia of North American

Indians (Houghton Mifflin), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
Company, Jan. 1996, p. 151. EBSCOhost,
libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.as
px?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=12593828&site=eds-live.
Barrett, Carole A. American Indian History. Salem Press, 2003.
Magill's Choice. EBSCOhost,
libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.as
px?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=105460&site=eds-live.

Emina
 Work Cited
"Natives, North American." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th
Edition, Mar. 2017, pp. 1-4. EBSCOhost,
libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/log
in.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=39023655&site=eds-live.
Burns, Grandma Valerie. Interview Grandma. 11 Nov. 2017.
Traditional Native American "Chicken Dance" - Stanford Pow Wow
2011. Youtube Video, Marina Nadir, 28 June 2011.
Prairie Chicken Dance. Youtube Video, MOnatureKids, 21 Jan.
2010.

Angela Degollado