Wacipi: Celebrating Native American Dance and Song

Native Americans demonstrate traditional dances and songs, explaining their cultural significance. The goal is to break down barriers and build good will between the communities in Wyoming and the surrounding Native American communities. Includes examples of Grass Dance, Jingle Dance, Northern and Southern Fancy Dance, Shawl Dance, and Flag Song. Filmed in Jackson, Wyoming.

WyomingPBS videos are used in classrooms across the country. Comments inappropriate for a classroom are blocked.

[wiseguysoutdoors]

I have found out that I have Oglala Lakota and Shawnee heritage. My great grandmother was a child survivor of the wounded knee massacre. She fled, and the Gosser family, on the South Dakota/Nebraska line, found her huddled, sleeping in the haymow in their barn, covered up in burlap feed sacks. They took her in, because she was fair haired and light skinned, as Crazy Horse was described to be. She shared that her mother was wounded and dying and urged her daughter on, when she was too weak to go on. Only on her death bed, did she share this with my grandparents. The Gossers adopted her and raised her as their own, and always treated her with love and kindness. She was fearful, until late in life, that they would find her and silence her, as they did our people and her family then. I yearn to learn about my culture and people, missing a couple of generations of that knowledge being passed down.

[terrychrist]

The music and singing and dancing always touches my Spirit.

[jessicagray]

Wish the world loved like our native love

[meredithr]

You are gladdening my heart over in the UK - thank you for sharing these dances

[suzanneverdal]

Great Spirit came to me this morning, before wakening.

[rodcaskey]

We watched the video tonite. It was great. We learned many things we did not know about dancing and saw many similarities between these dances and those in Michigan. Thank you for making the video and sharing history.

[wynot-n-wyoming]

Beautiful and educational..
Love to attend a dance etc..
Blessings

[lorifitzgerald-leger]

There is so so much we all can learn from the First Nations People, I am very curious about the culture of the First Nations people .

[floydmarr]

I'm a descendent of the crow and Shoshone

[Unruly_Pyrate]

How can i get some of that bead work i would love to wear something like this for my Soul return day