Sitting quietly by herself, Curdana Daniels methodically ties one knot upon another using dozens of strands of colourful yarn.
Along with several other female students in Chief Jacob Bearspaw School’s culture class, the 16-year-old is creating a grass dance outfit for her younger cousin to wear at an upcoming powwow held at the Eden Valley school.
“It’s important to learn about this so we can keep our culture alive,” Curdana said. “As soon as our elders pass away, no one is going to be able to teach us this stuff. We learn it now so we can teach it to our children and our grandchildren.”
As its name indicates, teacher Melanie Rabbit said the goal of the culture class at Chief Jacob Bearspaw School is to teach children the cultural practices of their ancestors. Last year, the girls in the class designed and sewed their own jingle dance outfits for a powwow at their school.
This year, the girls decided to design grass dance outfits for the young boys in their community to be used in an upcoming school powwow, Rabbit said.
“Designing these outfits gives them a sense of pride for their culture,” said Rabbit. “I think every native should have this experience.”
Grass dancing is a traditional Aboriginal men’s dance performed at powwows, known for its characteristic foot stomping and ornate regalia. The dance requires an elaborate outfit, complete with plenty of fringe, intricate beadwork, and geometric and floral designs, she said.
“Back in the day, grass dancers would go through and stomp down the grass to flatten it out before the powwow,” Rabbit explained of the history behind the dance.
As mainstream fashions have evolved over time, Rabbit said powwow regalia has also undergone several transformations.
“The designs haven’t changed, but the styles have definitely become more Hollywood,” Rabbit said. “If you go to a powwow today, you’re going to see a lot of bright colours, a lot of beautiful beadwork.”
In the culture class, students have the chance to put their own modern interpretations on the traditional Aboriginal dance attire.
The perfect fusion of new and old, Curdana has put a creative and modern stamp on her design using three bright colours: green, white and black.
“They’re my favourite colours,” she explained, adding with a giggle: “And purple too, but there’s no purple in this.”
Once complete, her outfit will retain its traditional roots using customary fringe on the back and sides, and a roach made with detailed beading for the headpiece. On the front of the top will be a traditional eagle design, she added.
“The eagle brings luck to us,” Curdana explained.
At her side, Miranda Kaquittz, 16, also refines her masterpiece using even more vivid colours of neon orange, pink and green. The bright dyes are reminiscent of the shocking shades featured in advertisements for Italian fashion brand United Colours of Benetton, bringing a contemporary twist to the ancestral garb.
Creating a grass dance outfit has proven to be no easy feat, Rabbit said, as her students have been working consistently on crafting their designs since September.
“You need to have lots of patience for this kind of thing,” Rabbit explained. “It’s very time consuming.”
As they near completion, the students will measure the boys for whom they are designing the outfits to ensure a proper fit. Then, preparations for the powwow will begin.
