The Shuckahosee family in their Northern Traditional Regalia. Photo supplied. by Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (ANNews) – For Kathy Shuckahosee, dancing is more than movement. It is a connection to family, culture, community, and generations of tradition. Originally from Tama, Iowa, Shuckahosee is a Northern Traditional dancer who carries her cultural teachings into the powwow arena. While visiting Ermineskin Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alberta, she shared how dance has shaped her life and why it remains an important responsibility to continue passing traditions forward. Northern Traditional dancing is one of the oldest styles found within powwow traditions, known for its grace, precision, and storytelling through movement. “It is one of the oldest styles of all tribes,” Shuckahosee said. “And it is elegant and graceful.” Kathy Shuckahosee (on the right) in her Northern Traditional Regalia pictured with a Jingle Dress Dancer. For Shuckahosee, being part of the powwow community provides a strong connection to family and others who share the same way of life. “Being part of the powwow community is very meaningful,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun bonding with family and with other powwow families.” She described powwow culture as more than an event. It is a positive way of life. Dance has impacted every part of her life. “It impacts my life spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally,” Shuckahosee said. “It reinforces our culture and also keeps you active. It’s like a sport, so you have to stay active and keep your body healthy.” She also believes dancers carry a responsibility when they enter the powwow arena, especially as role models for younger generations. “The responsibility is being a positive role model for young people,” she said. Shuckahosee encourages people who have stepped away from the powwow circle to rejoin the community. For her, the circle represents the heart of the powwow. “The circle is the arena, the powwow circle, [it’s] all the singing and all the dancing that we do at each powwow, at each session,” she explained. She encourages young Indigenous people interested in dancing to take that first step and seek support from their communities. “They just need to get out there and dance,” Shuckahosee said. “It’s part of their bloodline.” She added that young dancers do not have to begin their journey alone. “If they need help with an outfit, there’s somebody that can always help them if they don’t have one,” she said. “Take classes. There’s always somebody that mentors or somebody in their community that does teach sewing or beadwork making.” Her hope for future generations is simple. “Keep on dancing many generations to come,” she said. “Just keep going and going.” Shuckahosee’s own motivation comes from her family and the connections created through the powwow arena. “What keeps me motivated is my family and my children, and living the positive lifestyle of the powwow, dancing, and being in the powwow arena,” she said. “The feelings of being in the powwow arena, in the circle, are very good.” Over the years, her dancing journey has continued to evolve through practice, growth, and dedication. “Just stepping out into the arena, getting out there, improving different parts of my outfit, and improving each year, each season that has passed,” she said. “Just improving and keep showing up.” Her regalia reflects her identity and connection to tradition. She wears a Northern Traditional applique style outfit, including a Meskwaki traditional outfit featuring an applique skirt with mirror images on the front panels. “My outfit is the Northern Traditional applique style,” Shuckahosee said. “I have the Meskwaki traditional outfit. It’s the applique skirt that has the mirror images on the front panels and the panels around.” Her regalia also includes a ribbon shirt, bone necklaces, scarves, Meskwaki style moccasins, a headband, and silverwork. Beyond her own dancing, Shuckahosee travels throughout the United States and Canada to help her children learn about Indigenous cultures and traditions. “The reason I dance and travel so much around the U.S. and Canada is for my children, to show them the different tribes and what’s all out there,” she said. Her children are also continuing the tradition, with her son dancing Northern Traditional and her daughter participating as a Jingle Dress dancer. As she continues dancing and sharing her story, Shuckahosee hopes people understand that traditional dance is a living practice that connects past, present, and future generations. “It’s a very important part of our life as Native people,” she said. “It’s been passed on for many generations.” “It’s one of the first things that we learn when we’re brought into the world.” Her message is about carrying tradition forward, one step, one song, and one generation at a time.
Keeping Tradition Alive:KathyShuckahosee Shares the Meaning Behind Northern Traditional Dance
