Indian Ceremonies and Dances

American Indians

VICTORY DANCES:

Victory Dances celebrated sucess in battle. Men and women of the Hidatsa tribe, tide the scalps of slain enemies on a pole and danced to the rhythm of rapid drumbeats.

SUN DANCE:

Sun Dance ceremonnies often lasted several days. Young men of the Sioux tribe ,demonstrated their courage by attaching strings to their chest and tugging until they tore free.

KACHINA DANCERS:

Kachina Dancers performed at Pueblo cermonies to ensure good crop. The masked men chanted and danced to the rhythm of their rattles. The dancers that wear stripes are clowns. The Kachina dancers visited children to learn if the youngsters had been good .If not, the dancers punished them.

LARGE PYRAMIDS:

Large Pyramids were built as early as A.D. 300 by mound-building Indians of the Ohio and Missippi River valleys. These structures were probably used for religious ceremonies.

SHELL DISK:

A Shell Disk shows a man in ceremonial dress. It was carved by an early mound-building Indian in Tennesee.

PRAYER STICK:

A Prayer Stick was used at religious ceremonies by the Kickapoo Indians of the Eastern Woodlands. Markings of the stick reminded the Indians of the order of or past events.

RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES:

Religious Ceremonies played an important part in the life oof most Indian tribes. Many of these ceremonies were aimed at assuring a plentiful supply of food ,and some lasted several days. The Pine Tree Dance was a harvest celebration of the Southwest Pueblo Indians.

WOODEN MASK:

A Wooden Mask was worn by a shaman of the Iroquois False Face Society during disease-curing ceremonies.

POMO BASKETRY:

Pomo Basketry was among the finest in the New World. Feathers and bead work were woven into this ceremonial basket.

CEREMONIAL RAVEN HAT:

A Ceremonial Raven Hat, over 4 feet (1.2 meters)long, was carved by the craftsmen of the Northwest Coast. For more information I would go to these refrences.

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