The feathers and the bells of jingle dancers whispered in the air tonight as I made my way to my car after the Pendleton Round up. I stopped for a while when I heard the drums of the tribe and the sound of their voices, singing the melody of the people.
My heart suddenly filled with joy and a tinge of homesickness swept over me.
You see, when I was barely six years old, I accompanied my auntie and her family to a Pow Wow, and I went to many more after that, but that is the first one in my recollection. I stood by my auntie and watched as the jingle dancers moved to the beat of the music, and that was the first time my world slowed for a little while.
The beauty of the adornments and the rhythm of the dancers fascinated my young heart, and I could feel the beat of the drums in my chest.
It has been a long time since I have felt that fascination, but today, my heart skipped a beat when I heard the drums. I felt the rhythm long before I heard their voices or saw their figures, yet suddenly I felt like I was six years old again, and searching for the dancers who had captivated me from my first glance.
I watched, spell bound, as they moved with the rhythm of time and danced with the graceful steps that centuries had perfected. Once again I was on the North Dakota plains, holding my aunie’s hand, watching the dancers and lost in thought.
My heart was filled with joy because today, I saw a tradition I had not seen in many years.
The feathers and the beads are so very pleasing to the eye, but the rhythm and the dance are what pleases the soul.
I had a very hard time leaving that sound behind, as it resounded through the park. Walking away from them felt as if I was walking away from part of my home, and my heart broke a little. I never realized the power of music and dance until this moment. Those voices and that drum brought me back to my hometown far away, and the rhythm and their grace filled me joy for the memories I had almost forgotten.
I leaned against a tree and absorbed what I could before I had to depart. My feet were heavy as I walked away from the sound, but my heart was light.
Because in those moments, when I heard those voices, the world again, slowed for a little. I was allowed the rare moment of tranquility amidst a spinning world, and I was reminded that it is the little things in life that matter most. It is the moments when you get to enjoy this earth with the ones you love.
Yes, the sound of jingle dancers floating through the air truly reminds one of what matter most, time and love. For without love, time is useless, and without time, love would never be found.
So I tell you today, enjoy the time you have now, and the love that is all around you.
