Native American Jingle Dress Dance

Lesson Key Facts

• Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• Subject(s): English Language Arts, Social Studies, Visual Arts, Native American
• Duration of lesson: 2 hours; or two 1-hour sessions
• Author(s): Lorna Joseph-Loy(Shoshone/Paiute/Nez Perce/Navajo) and Rachel Gonthier

Download

Background Information

This lesson invites students to explore the cultural and historical significance of the Native American Jingle Dress Dance. It highlights the Jingle Dress as a symbol of healing and resilience within Native communities, while tracing its origins to the Ojibwe people and its expansion to other Native groups. Through storytelling, videos, discussion and a hands-on art and writing activity, students will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role that dance, sound, and movement play in Native traditions. 

The Jingle Dress Dance is commonly performed at powwows, which are social and ceremonial gatherings held by Native American communities across the United States and Canada. It is a dance of prayer and healing, with the sound of the jingles believed to carry positive energy and spiritual power. Dancers often perform with graceful, steady footwork, reflecting the importance of balance and connection to the earth.

Historical Origins of the Jingle Dress Dance
 

The Jingle Dress Dance holds rich and diverse historical origins, with its roots traced to various stories and traditions across indigenous communities. Most traditions and tribes have similar themes and stories describing the Dance as medicine or a prayer that came in a dream from spirits or the Creator for those facing illness and hardship.

The origins of the Jingle Dress Dance are most often attributed to the Ojibwe people, with stories emerging from the Great Lakes and the Whitefish Bay area in Minnesota and  Ontario, including what is now Canada. These accounts frequently center on visions received during times of hardship, such as the influenza pandemic of 1918, emphasizing the Dance’s role as a symbol of healing and resilience.

In the fall of 1918, Canadian and American soldiers returned home from World War I, unknowingly carrying the deadly Spanish Influenza. This flu spread quickly across North America from 1918 to 1920. The hardest hit were Native American children and young adults whose death rate soared to 20% in some communities. Hope of salvation from illnesses, specifically the flu, provided the driving force for the Jingle Dress Dance and grew in popularity. The United States government placed a ban on ritual dancing on reservations. Despite this, the Jingle Dress Dance spread from the Ojibwe people to the Lakota and then on to the rest of Native communities. 

While its roots are closely tied to the Ojibwe, the Jingle Dress Dance tradition has since been embraced and adapted by many indigenous nations, showcasing its profound cultural significance and widespread impact. Today, the Jingle Dress Dance is performed at powwows across the country representing spiritual wellness, healing, pride and celebration.

The Story of the Jingle Dress
 

This is one version of the story of the Jingle Dress as it has been passed down through generations. It is important to note that other tribes and communities may share their own versions of this story, each carrying unique details and traditions that reflect their perspectives and experiences.

Traditionally, it is believed that the dress was first seen in a dream. The granddaughter of a medicine man fell gravely ill. In the dream, his spirit guide revealed a vision of a special dress adorned with metal cone jingles whose sound had healing power. He was instructed to create the dress and have his granddaughter dance in it. With great care, the dress was made, and the tribe gathered to witness the ceremony. At first, the girl was too weak to dance on her own, but supported by her community, she began to move. Soon, her strength returned, and she danced freely, her sickness lifted and her spirit renewed.

Design of the Jingle Dress:
 

• The dress is often brightly colored, adorned with jingles that are metal cones made from rolled tin or aluminum, traditionally from snuff can lids.
• The number of jingles varies, but it’s typically in the hundreds, making the dress both visually and audibly striking.
• The jingle sound is essential to the dance, symbolizing the prayers and energy carried through the movements.
• Today, the Jingle Dress and its dance remain a vital part of cultural and spiritual practices in many Native communities, representing resilience, unity, and healing.

Lesson Plan and Procedure

The Sound of Healing: The Story of the Jingle Dress Dance

Lesson Introduction (10-15 minutes): Use Slide Presentation

[Slide 1] Show pictures of Jingle Dress dancers. Have students silently observe the images.

Give students a few moments to take in the photos. Use the following thinking routine to explore the images more deeply with the students.

Teacher: “First, we’ll describe exactly what we see—just the facts. Then we’ll talk about what we think is happening, and finally, we’ll share what we wonder about.” (Use Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routine: See, Think, Wonder)

[Slide 2] After the discussion, show a close-up image of a young girl in a Jingle Dress.

Teacher: “This is another picture of a girl dancing in a Jingle Dress. Do you notice any shapes or patterns repeated?”  Point out the cones on the dresses.

[Slide 3] Teacher: “What shape are the jingles on the dress?” (cone) 

[Slide 4] Show a 2D picture or drawing of a cone. 

Teacher: “Do you see this shape somewhere in our room? Where else have you seen the shape of a cone?” 

[Slide 5] Some answers could be: an ice cream cone, party hat, traffic cone.

[Slide 6] Teacher: “A cone is a 3D shape with one circular base and a curved surface that narrows to a point called the apex.” Invite students to make a cone shape with their bodies or with a partner. 

[Slide 7] Teacher: “These pictures show dancers wearing Jingle Dresses, which are much more than just beautiful clothing. Each dress tells a story. We call this traditional clothing regalia or an outfit, not a costume. The word ‘costume’ is usually for things people wear to pretend or dress up, like on Halloween. But regalia is special and meaningful—it often represents a dancer’s family, tribe, and personal journey.”

Transition gently into the story:

Teacher: “I’d like to share with you another version of the story that is often told when people speak of the Jingle Dress. 

A long time ago, in a quiet village near a lake, a little girl became very sick. She couldn't run or play anymore. She couldn’t even get out of bed. Her family was worried, especially her grandfather, who loved her very much.

One night, her grandfather sat by the fire and prayed. He asked the Creator to show him how to help his granddaughter. That night, as he drifted into sleep, he had a powerful dream.

In the dream, he saw four women dressed in beautiful skirts covered in shiny metal cones. The women moved in a graceful circle, their feet close to the ground. As they danced, the cones jingled like tiny bells in the wind. The sound was soft, but strong. The dream filled him with hope.

A voice in the dream said, ‘This is a healing dance. Make a dress like this. Teach the women to dance. The sound of their jingles will carry your prayers. And your granddaughter will get better.’

The grandfather woke up with a clear vision in his mind. He gathered tin and carefully shaped the cones. He sewed them onto a special dress—hundreds of jingles, one for each day of the year.

He asked the women of the village to wear the dresses and dance, just like he saw in his dream. They danced gently, their feet never leaving the ground, and the jingles sang out into the sky.

As they danced, the little girl opened her eyes. Slowly, she sat up. Then she smiled.

Day by day, as the women kept dancing, she got stronger. Soon, she was dancing with them too—her own dress singing with every step.”

[Slide 8] Teacher: “Now, let’s bring these images to life. Let’s watch a girl dancing in her Jingle Dress and notice how the dress moves, how it sounds, and what it might feel like to wear something with so much meaning.” (Then show the video clip of the girl dancing on Slide 8).

The Jingle Dress Dance: A Healing Tradition Across Nations

[Slide 9] Option: you can share a list of tribal groups known to share variations of the Jingle Dress story (e.g., Ojibwe (sometimes called the Chippewa), Dakota (Sioux), Lakota (Sioux), and other Anishinaabe communities). 

• Map of federally recognized tribes 

Teacher: “This is just one story about the origins of the Jingle Dress Dance. The version we learned today comes from the Ojibwe people, but there are many versions shared by other Native communities like the Dakota, Lakota, and other Anishinaabe nations.” [Point to the map on the slide] 

“Let’s take a look at this map. Every dot or shaded area represents a different Native Nation. In the United States alone, there are 574 federally recognized tribal nations—and that’s not including the many First Nations in Canada. That’s a lot of different cultures, languages, and stories!”

“So while the Jingle Dress Dance began in one place, today it’s shared and celebrated by Native Americans all across the United States and Canada. It’s a powerful tradition that connects people, healing, and community.”

[Slide 10] Teacher: “Now that we’ve learned about the origins of the Jingle Dress Dance, let’s watch another short video to see who dances the Jingle Dress Dance today. As you watch, pay close attention to the people in the video. Notice who they are, what they say, and why they choose to dance.”

Watch the video.
Teacher: “Turn to a partner and share what you noticed. Who is dancing the Jingle Dress Dance today? And why are they choosing to dance?”
 

Allow time for partner sharing. Then invite a few students to share their thoughts with the whole class.

Teacher: “That’s right—many women and girls dance the Jingle Dress Dance to help others, to share good feelings, and to keep their culture and traditions alive for future generations.”

“Even though the dance began with one community, it has now been shared and embraced by Native people all across the United States and Canada. The Jingle Dress Dance is more than just a performance—it’s a cultural and spiritual tradition that continues to bring healing, strength, and connection. You’ll see it at powwows and other ceremonial gatherings, where it is honored and celebrated.”

Movements that Speak, Sounds that Heal (30 minutes)

Teacher: “Now that we have learned about the story of the Jingle Dress, let’s spend a moment watching these women dance in their Jingle Dresses at a powwow.” 

[Slide 11] Before starting the video, prompt students: 
Teacher: “As you watch, focus on two things: the way the dancers move and the sound of the jingles. Try to imagine what it might feel like to be a part of a dance like this—wearing something meaningful, moving in rhythm, and dancing with purpose. What do you think the dancers might be feeling as they move?”

[Slide 11] Watch the video:

• Show a short video clip of a Jingle Dress Dance at a powwow (Suite 1491 YouTube Channel). 

Additional video (option):

• Watch a Jingle Dress Dance: The Jingle Dress Dance, Minnesota Historical Society. 

Teacher: “Turn to a partner and share what kind of movements you saw and what the jingles sounded like to you. (After a short partner share, ask the whole group to respond.)

“What did the movement of the dancers and the jingle dress make you think of? What do the sound of the jingles make you think or feel? Did anything surprise you?”

Share how the sound of the jingles is important because the sound carries prayers and represents healing. 

Teacher: “The sound of the jingles is more than just music—it’s part of the healing. Every step is a prayer, and the jingles carry those prayers out into the world. The dance becomes a way to connect, to heal, and to remember.”

Lead a conversation about the importance of dance in Native American culture. You might say: 

Teacher: (For Younger Students) “We just watched the Jingle Dress Dance. Did you notice how the dancers moved and how the jingles sounded? Now let’s think about why this dance is special. For many Native American people, dancing isn’t just for fun—it can be a way to help people feel better, to show love for their families and communities, and to share their traditions.”

Teacher: (For Older Students) “Now that we’ve observed the movement and sound of the Jingle Dress Dance, let’s think more deeply about why it matters—not just as a performance, but as a cultural and spiritual practice.” 

Ask questions like:

• “What do you notice about how the dancers moved? Were their movements fast or slow? Repetitive or varied?”
• “What did the jingles sound like to you? Why do you think the sound of the jingles is so important?” 
• “Why do you think sound and movement are connected in the Jingle Dress Dance?” (Jingles sound like wind or rain, they carry prayers, sound like wind chimes, gentle rain, etc.)
• “The Jingle Dress Dance is known as a healing dance. How might dancing help someone feel better—emotionally, spiritually, or physically?”
• “How do you think dancing together might help bring a community closer?”
• “Have you ever danced or moved your body to help express your feelings?”
• “Can you think of other times when music, movement, or ceremony brings people together in your own life or community?”
   

Option 1: Movement Reflection / "What Does Healing Feel Like?"

Invite students to create a small personal movement that expresses a feeling connected to healing, comfort, or care.

Teacher: “The Jingle Dress Dance is meant to bring healing. Without copying the dance, let’s think about what healing feels like in our own bodies. Can you think of a simple movement that feels calming or powerful to you? Maybe it’s a stretch, a sway, or a slow step forward.”

Let them try this individually, then invite them to share (if they want) what kind of movement they chose and why.
 

Option 2: Circle of Intention

Create a moment of quiet unity with very simple, symbolic movements.

Instructions:

• Stand in a circle.
• Ask each student to take one deep breath and step forward as a gesture of sending a good thought or intention (like kindness, peace, strength) to someone or something.
• Let them choose their own simple hand or body gesture (like pressing hands to their heart, reaching out, or bowing their head).

Teacher: “This isn’t a dance—we’re just using movement to show care and connection, like many cultures do in different ways.”

The Jingle Dress Is a Symbol of Healing in Native American Culture

Discuss how the sound of the jingles is important because it carries prayers for healing and good thoughts for people and the community. 

Teacher: “How do you think dancing and hearing the jingles helps someone feel better? We are going to watch a video and I want you to pay attention to how one young dancer helps her community.”

Watch video: “Feather’s Story: A Prayer for Healing and Unity,” National Congress of American Indians. 

After showing the video, ask the students: “What kinds of things do you do to help people feel better when they’re not feeling well, either physically or emotionally?”

Explain that just like the Jingle Dress Dancers send healing thoughts through their movement, we can use our words to do the same for others. 

Activities: “Jingle Cones of Healing”

Activity 1: Discussion (15 minutes)
 

Tell students that today they’ll write their own messages of encouragement and healing, similar to how the Jingle Dress Dancers offer prayers for people in their community. 

Discuss examples of situations where someone might need

 encouragement and consider what words of support you could offer, such as:

• When someone is sick or not feeling well you could say, “I hope you feel better soon.”
• When someone is discouraged, you could say, “You’re strong and I know you can do this.”
• When someone is going through a hard time, you could say, “I’m thinking of you and sending you good thoughts.”

Activity 2: Writing Notes (10 minutes)
 

Provide students with paper and pencils and pre-cut paper in the shape of a 3D cone pattern. (cone template)

[Slide 13] Have students choose someone they want to send positive thoughts to—this could be a family member, friend, or even themselves.

[Slide 14] On the inside of the cone, ask them to write a short note or letter wishing the person well, sharing good thoughts, or offering prayers.

Activity 3: Creating Patterns (30 minutes)

Encourage them to decorate the 3D cone pattern with colors and patterns, or symbols that make them think of healing or happiness. They can use markers or create a crayon resist using crayon and watercolor on printed cardstock. 

[Slide 15] Talk about what makes a pattern: The repetition of a visual element. A regular arrangement of alternated or repeated elements (shapes, lines, colors) is called a motif. 

[Slide 16] Review elements of art and have students choose an element they want to repeat throughout the pattern to unify it. Show examples where a pattern is made out of repeated lines and shapes. (See slides)

[Slide 17] There are many ways that patterns can be repeated. They can be arranged in a grid or in waves. They can be single shapes repeated or a cluster of shapes. Prompt students to think of a motif that could be repeated that has meaning. e.g. flowers, birds, bandages, hearts, sun. It doesn’t have to be literal. Abstract shapes and lines can work just as well.

[Slide 18] After students choose their motif, have them draw it at least 4 different ways to stretch the quality of their work. Use the example of drawing a sun and show a variety of ways to draw that motif with different kinds of lines and shapes. 
 

[Slide 19] Hand out scratch paper and have students draw

 along as you demonstrate different ways to add variety to the line quality of a drawing. You can demonstrate by making thick and thin lines, zig-zag, curvy, spiral, and dotted lines. Encourage students to think of different ways to add variety to the lines and shapes in their patterns. 

[Slide 21] Show students how to roll the paper into a cone shape by gently curling one corner of the paper toward the opposite side.

Secure the edge with tape or glue to keep the cone in place. 

Reflection and Discussion (5-10 minutes)
 

Ask students:

• How did writing the note make you feel?
• How do you think the person receiving your note will feel?
• What other ways can we send positive energy or good thoughts to people?
   

Connecting Back to the Jingle Dress

Reinforce the idea that just like the Jingle Dress Dancers use their dance to send healing prayers, we can use our words to offer comfort, healing, and encouragement to others.

Remind students those simple actions, whether through dance or writing, can have a powerful impact on someone’s well-being.

Create a Classroom Installation (OPTIONS)

Label your choice of display: “Jingle Cone of Healing and Encouragement” or “Messages of Healing, Inspired by the Native American Jingle Dress Dance.”

[Slide 22-23] Introduce students to installation art by showing the examples in the slides. Invite students to brainstorm unique ways to create an installation with their cones and choose a location to install their artwork. See this video to gain a better understanding of installation art. More information is in the presenter notes in the slide presentation. 

• Example 1: Create a “Healing Tree” bulletin board. Place the 3D cones in a tree shape. 
• Example 2: Create a hanging mobile
  • Use a hole puncher to create a small hole at the top of each cone. Thread string or yarn through the hole and tie a knot.
  • Hang the cones from the ceiling or an overhead display, allowing them to dangle and “jingle” with movement, similar to how the metal jingles move during the dance.

• Students will learn about the history and cultural significance of the Native American Jingle Dress Dance.
• Students will explore the importance of dance in Native American traditions.
• Students will create their own “jingle” art project to understand the connection between a single jingle and the shape of the three-dimensional shape of a cone. 
• Students will write a letter, note, or reflection about how they can help someone feel better. They can also connect this to their own lives by asking if they have ever danced or listened to music when they were feeling sad or happy. 
   

This lesson can be used to meet standards in many grades and subject areas. We will highlight one grade’s standards to give an example of application.

1st Grade Math Standards

• Standard 1.G.2: Compose shapes.
  • Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half circles, and quarter-circles) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
  • Compose three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape. First grade students do not need to learn formal names such as "right rectangular prism."

1st Grade English Language Arts Standards

• Standard 1.W.4: Participate in shared research and writing projects.

1st Grade Social Studies Standards

• Standard 1.1.3: Use primary sources (for example, artifacts and documents such as photographs, newspapers, speakers, stories, songs) to make inferences about why certain events in history are remembered.
• Standard 1.1.4: Create a primary source to show how their personal histories are shaped by family, school, and community (for example, timeline, interview, artifact collection, recipe book).
• Standard 1.3.3: Explain how diverse community groups work together to accomplish common tasks, solve problems, and fulfill responsibilities.
• Standard 1.3.4: Identify the symbols, landmarks, and essential documents of the school, community, state, and nation (including the national motto and state emblem). Demonstrate how to show respect for those items, including care and disposal of the United States flag.

1st Grade Fine Arts Standards

• Standard 1.D.R.1: Select movements from a dance, and explain how the movements suggest an idea.
• Standard 1.D.R.2: Identify and demonstrate movements within a dance, and describe the characteristics that make the movements interesting.
• Standard 1.D.CO.1: Recognize and name emotions experienced when watching, improvising, or performing dance, and relate it to a personal experience.
• Standard 1.D.CO.2: Describe and demonstrate movements organized around a specific topic.
• Standard 1.M.R.2: Describe feelings conveyed by a music selection, identify elements in a music selection that elicit feelings, show feelings conveyed by music through movement, and predict the use of a music selection.
• Standard 1.M.CO.1: Describe how music relates to personal experience; use life experience and additional content knowledge to inspire and respond to music, and deepen understanding of another content area through music.
• Standard 1.V.CR.1: Engage collaboratively in exploration and imaginative play with art materials, and use observation and investigation in preparation for making a work of art.
• Standard 1.V.CR.2: Explore the use of materials and tools to create works of art or design; use art materials, tools, and equipment in a safe way; and identify and classify uses of everyday objects through drawings, diagrams, sculptures, or other visual means.
• Standard 1.V.CR.3: Use art vocabulary to describe choices while creating art.
• Standard 1.V.CO.2: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding that people from different times and places have made art for a variety of reasons.

• Slide Presentation
• Images from Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project by Eugene Tapahe
• Craft materials: construction paper, writing paper, glue, pen/pencil, scissors
• Paper and pencil for writing activity
• Cone template: Cone cut-out template printed on cardstock
• Crayons, watercolor paint, or markers
• Map of Native American tribes and regions in North America
  • Native lands of federally recognized tribes
• Video links—videos are linked throughout the lesson/presentation 
   

This lesson was created thanks to a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums

What is a Native American powwow? 

• Article: “American Indian Powwows,” Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Culture Heritage. 
• Celebration of Powwow: The Living History of Native American Gatherings. NBC News.
• What’s A Powwow? CBS News. 
• Experience America’s Largest Powwow: Short Film Showcase, National Geographic. 

What is the origin story of the Jingle Dress?

• The Jingle Dress, A Modern Tradition: An Interview with Brenda Child. 
• Jingle Dress Dance: An Interview with Lillian-Gadwa Crier, from the Kehewin Cree Nation. 
• The Ojibwe Jingle Dress: Full Documentary by Twin Cities PBS. 
• Healing With Art: Jingle Dress Project with Eugene Tapahe (Navajo), This Is Utah, PBS Utah. 

Installation Art

Rivers and Tides video of installation artist, Andy Goldsworthy

Books To Read

Why We Dance: A Story of Hope and Healing by Deidre D. Havrelock

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Image 1: Emily Soderborg
Image 2: Jillian Bryner
Images 3-5: Rachel Gonthier
Image 6: Jillian Bryner
Image 7: Rachel Gonthier
Image 8: Jillian Bryner
Image 9: Emily Soderborg
Image 10: Jillian Bryner
Images 11-12: Emily Soderborg