Royalty

The Northern Exposure episode I watched today ended with a Native American talent show. The doctor’s receptionist participated by dancing in her traditional regalia. She was with other dancers, drummers, and singers. She looked like royalty and carried herself with such pride as she danced. I found myself tearing up.

The show was shot in North Central Washington, and they used the tribes from the Colville Reservation. Matt and I lived just south of Colville when he worked at the Grand Coulee Dam. I was privileged to be an AmeriCorps volunteer at the elementary school. I helped the second grade teachers by tutoring reading to the kids who were on the verge of failing. Some of those kids were Native American.


The school district celebrates Native American Day instead of Columbus Day and has a pow wow and potash on that day with customary food, drummers, singers, and dancers. The children are encouraged to dance in their traditional dress. They have competition dances, dances for the women, dances for the men, and follows up with a dance for everyone. It was an amazing day.


One of the little girls I worked with was a traditional dancer. I was so excited to see her participate in the women’s traditional dance. She looked just like that woman on Northern Exposure--like a queen. She held herself with such pride and grace and was dressed so beautifully. I will never forget her. She looked at me while she was dancing and I knew she would never live in poverty or pain like a lot of the kids she was growing up with.

The tribes promote traditional dancing for their kids because they are less likely to get into gangs and drugs that way. I believe it. Instead of being taught to be ashamed of themselves they are given pride and encouraged to compete in skills that could have been lost to the ages.