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Nanticoke Tribe celebrates Native American Day near Millsboro
BY STEVEN BILLUPS
December 3, 2012
Performing the Grass Dance is Matthew Harmon. Urie Ridgeway spoke about the Grass Dance origins in Great Plains where grasses swayed in the breeze. The Grass Dancers also flattened the grass at new villages as the tribe followed the animals.
Linda Wright dances the Women’s Northern Traditional Dance. Joining her in the dance circle is Chitanitehe Ridgeway. Children are taught dances from an early age. When Chitanitehe Ridgeway heard the drum she immediately started dancing.
Cheyenne Wright, left, and Cory Jackson dance the Fancy Shawl and are joined by Chitanitehe Ridgeway. The dance was formerly called the Butterfly dance and the energetic dance came to dance circle in the 1930s.
Dancing the Jingle Dress Dance is Adrianne Harmon. Urie Ridgeway explained that a medicine man’s granddaughter became very ill one day. In a dream, his spirit guides told him to make a Jingle dress for her and have her dance in it. This, he was told would heal her. When the outfit was finished, the tribe assembled for a dance. On her first time around, the illness would not permit her to dance and she was carried. As time went on she was soon dancing in the circle.
The dancing closed out with a Friendship Dance and the entire audience had the opportunity to participate.
November is Native American Heritage month and the Nanticoke Tribe celebrated the month Nov. 24 at the Oak Orchard museum. The cold, windy weather kept the activities indoors, but the visitors still filled the main room for talks and dancing in between looking through the museum's vast historical Native American artifacts. Talking about music and tribal language is Urie Ridgeway.
