Chicago's Fifty Years of Powwows

<Adapted from the book of the same name>

Women's Fancy Shawl Dance

The Women's Fancy Shawl Dance is considered to be a relatively new style of dancing that originated when women started making shawls in the early 1900s to replace the blanket and buffalo robes they would wear in public. This energetic and graceful dance originally afforded young women an opportunity to showcase their new shawls. Another story tells that the young ladies and their shawls represent the transition from a cocoon to a beautiful butterfly. Beadwork and accessories match the multi fringed shawls. Fancy footwork, the main component of the dance, is performed to the changing beat of the Drum, creating a splendor of spinning colors and elaborate movements.

Follow this link to see some Women's Fancy Shawl Dancers in action.

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Fancy Shawl Dancer, 1983.

Jennifer O'Rourke, NAES College Annual Powwow, Mather Park, 2003.

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The book Chicago's Fifty Years of Powwow has many more photos and offers insights that are not presented in this Online Essay. To obtain a copy of your own, follow this offsite link to the webpage for the Chicago American Indian Center.