The Women’s Traditional dance represents grace, modesty, dignity and humility. It originated from the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota of the North. Women will most likely be caring a feather, raised above their heads and move them on beat to the drums to show respect and honor to the men who are playing the drums. The beadwork on most shawls that the women carry around their shoulders show representation of their tribe and family. The dresses they wear vary in color. The dance itself happens in a bounce motion and the women’s feet do not leave the ground as they bounce in either zig-zag or sideways manner. Adonica Little, who also goes by Keyahanwin Cikala is a Women’s traditional dancer. Her name means “Turtle Shell Woman” and “She carries her home” is the significance of it. The name was passed down to her by her grandmother and at her Hunka Ceremony “Name giving ceremony”. Keya as her friends call her, started traditional dancing at only 5 years old and continued for 19 years. She started with the jingle dress dance but as she got older the symbolic meaning of humility in the Women’s traditional dance is what she preferred most. Keya had 6 dresses her entire 19 years of dancing. Keya was particular on the colors of her dresses, in an interview with her she stated, “I chose to use my colors based on how they represented my personality. Greens were for the turtle, earth and nature, white for wisdom, yellow for the East – our most sacred direction, Red for life and symbol of woman, orange for sunsets and was used in our original sunburst colors when dyed beads were traded in the 1800’s. I later added gold and blues for water and the rays of the sun – sun for energy. My tribe used geometric symbols that were passed down and used to recognize other tribes. My tribe’s symbols were half stars and triangles. I also used turtles and flowers. Flowers for growth and stages of becoming a woman and turtles in my name with triangles that represent mountains and journey that has been walked”.
About Kristina: Kristina DeSersa is an aspiring writer and artist born in Casper, Wyoming. She is an accomplished student at the Oglala Lakota College in Rapid City, South Dakota. Kristina is Sincangu Lakota and an enrolled member with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Majoring in English and Communication, she wishes to pursue a career in publishing, journalism and freelance writing to inspire others.