Showcasing A Brief Glimpse at the "Prairie Chicken & Grass" Style Dance

(Dancers in video are Lindy Kinoshameg, who is from Wikwemikong First Nations of the Ojibway Tribe and Mike Healy, a Blackfoot of the Blood Tribe from Alberta Canada) 

By: Christine McFarlane

The Canadian Aboriginal Festival is fast approaching and its back in Toronto! 2011 marks its 18th Anniversary and offers a bit of everything to everyone. Instead of doing just a short blip, I wanted to offer my readers a brief glimpse into a dance style often seen at First Nations peoples pow wow's- the "Prairie Chicken & Grass" Style dance. 

This short video was  made by an acquaintance of mine, Lindy Kinoshameg, of Wikwemikong. Kinoshameg, as part of a class project, did a couple of videos that reflected First Nations culture and traditions. This involved keeping a blog and posting these videos up. 

After helping him edit the videos, I thought it would be really cool if I showcased his dance style in anticipation of the Canadian Aboriginal Festival coming around the corner. Much like words and images tell a story, so does dance, especially the dance styles reflected here. Take notice of the movements and rhythm, from the dancer's head right down to their toes. 


They are telling a story with the way they move. Also  have a look at the dancers regalia, the beads, the bells, the feathers, the colours and designs. Each individual's regalia is unique to them and to them alone.Enjoy! and don't forget to come out to the Canadian Aboriginal Festival. Its taking place this year at the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, in downtown Toronto, Ontario. This video was filmed at the University of Toronto, and you can also view it at http://kinosh.posterous.com/ 

[Special thanks to Lindy Kinoshameg and Mike Healy for giving me the permission to showcase their traditional dance style video on my blog. Other credits go to Chris Mejaki for Filming, Mike for sharing his dance, and A Tribe Called Red for their musical style.)