My roots run deep
Martha was eight when her uncle got sick, it terrified her, she had lost pets before but never a family member. She watched her uncle get sicker and sicker as the weeks went by. They couldn’t figure out what was causing her Uncle Roman to deteriorate. After week two of uncle Roman laying in bed unable to move her parents talked to the elders within the community. The elders recommended a visit from the jingle dancers. Jingle dance is a traditional native dance used in medicine. The dance group had paid Roman a visit the day after Bernice had asked for help. Martha watched the dance with intense eyes captivated by every movement and the sound of the bells. After the fourth visit Roman started to recover, his breathing wasn’t as sharp, his fever lowered, and he was able to keep solid food down. Martha was mesmerized by what had occurred, whether the jingle dance cured Roman or just uplifted their spirits, Martha couldn’t say but she knew these women helped her uncle. She wanted to help people the way that these women did.
When she asked her mother about learning the jingle dance, Bernice was ecstatic that her daughter was taking an interest in their culture. After agreeing that Martha could learn jingle dancing, she set a date aside for them to go into town and buy supplies to make a dress. They made a list of everything they would need from the fabric to the bells. The drive into town was short and they arrived at the first store, a fabric store. After looking around for a while the clerk inside the store approached Martha to ask her “What are we looking for today dear?”
“My mommy is making me a dress!” Martha said with enthusiasm.
“That sounds lovely, do you have a color in mind?” The older woman had asked.
“I don’t know…maybe…purple?” Martha said in an uncertain tone as her mother started looking though orange and blue fabric.
“I think I might have just what you are looking for dear.” The clerk walked away to disappear into the back of the store. After a few minutes she reappeared with a light lilac colored cloth. Martha’s breath hitched in her throat, and she froze in her movement. The color was so beautiful, light, and soft, it was exactly what Martha had been imagining for the past few days. Bernice looked over at her daughter and the clerk; seeing the look in her daughter’s eyes she knew that was the one. Bernice walked up to her daughter and said “Is that the color you want sweetie?”
“Yes, mama, it’s so pretty! It’s just what I wanted!” Martha said with excitement in her voice.
“Alright dear, then that’s the one we will get.” Bernice said to both Martha and the clerk.
“I’m glad we could find what you wanted, now if you would follow me we will go measure out and cut the amount that you would like.”
After paying for the fabric Martha and Bernice headed out to the next location. The next shop had bells and feathers; Martha could not hold her excitement. The colors, the sounds, everything made her heart race as she wondered the isles. “What are you thinking sweetie? One color or a couple?”
“All of them! A rainbow!” Martha answered her mother. Bernice smiled as she grabbed a couple packets of multicolored bells “How about some feathers for your headdress?”
“YES!”
Martha’s excitement ended when they got home, and Bernice had to take her measurements. Martha hated standing still, especially when all her animals keep trying to get her attention. Her dog, Boomerang, kept getting in-between Martha and her mom trying to get attention. It got to the point that Bernice needed to put Boomerang outside for them to continue. Martha was board as she stood still in the same spot for thirty minutes. She was excited to start dance, but she was worried about how her friends would react to the whole thing. Toni might be the only one in the group to understands the importance of the jingle dance to their tribe. When Martha thinks about it more however, Toni hasn’t lived with many native families while in the system, the only real connection she has to the tribe is Martha’s family and name only. Martha was concerned with how to tell them in a way they would understand.
“Alright, Martha, we are done with your measurements, you can go play with Boomerang now if you would like?” Bernice said as she started to get the sowing machine ready, Martha was already gone by the time she looked up.
When third grade started Martha was nervous. She knew recess would turn into an interrogation once again. Martha, omitting the fact she is studying jingle dance, told her friends that she was going to start taking dance classes. Fatin, who once begged her parents to let her take ballet class, was the most curious over what the class entailed.
“Can you teach us what you learned?” Fatin asked as she stood up on the seat of the swing slowly swaying back and forth. Toni, who was interested in joining the school basketball team, was playing basketball with Dot and two other kids, an older kid named Everest and another kid only known as Jet. Everest’s older brother, who taught him basketball, is the captain of the high school team. Everest offered to show Dot and Toni a few tricks when he noticed them watching. Leah and Nora were under the oak tree reading and writing respectively. Rachel got challenged by an older kid to a foot race; she was currently winning. Shelby and Fatin however were trying to get Martha to teach them how to dance. “I haven’t started classes yet; I don’t think I would be able to teach you anything.”
“When do you start?” Shelby asked.
“Next weekend, I don’t think you will…” Martha was cut off by the teacher calling for them to return to class.
Martha's first class was different then she was expecting, she was one of three girls being taught by Auntie Marie, an elder within the tribe. Martha wasn’t as coordinated as she had hoped, Martha kept tripping over her own feet and even stumbled into another girl knocking her over. Martha was frustrated and on the verge of tears until she heard her name being called from the doorway. Martha spun around in surprise only to see Toni standing in the doorway. Martha looked over at Auntie Marie, seeing she was walking one of the other girls though steps, Martha ran over to Toni.
“Toni? What are you doing?” Martha asked in confusion.
“Mickeal and Pam are fighting again, I went to your house, your mom said you were over here. What’s are you doing? Dancing? What are you wearing that for?” Toni asked bewildered.
Martha looked back at the class, down at her dress, and signed “It’s called jingle dancing. It helps people who are sick.”
“How?” Toni asked confused.
“I don’t know but when Uncle Roman was sick, it helped him.” Martha said.
“Is that why you want to dance? To help people?”
“I think so, but I’m not good.”
“Marty! You’re the best, of course your good!”
“I don’t think I can do it.”
“Marty…” Toni was cut off by Auntie Marie walking up. Marie looked between Martha and Toni to ask “Toni, dear, will you be joining us today?”
Toni looked at Martha before saying “I don’t have a dress…can I still dance?”
“Of course, dear.”
“Let’s go Marty!” Toni held out her hand to Martha. Martha grabbed Toni’s hand as she dragged her back to the group.
Auntie Marie started to walk the children though the steps again. This time Martha wasn’t as nervous while watching Toni fall over once or twice. Toni, being Toni, just stood up laughing and smiling which put Martha at ease. The rest of the lesson went by like a breeze completely empty from worry. After the lesson ended Toni and Martha headed back to Martha’s house to feed the animals and play with Jace.
Toni didn’t show up to any of the lessons after that first one, but Martha was ok with it now that she had the confidence to dance. It took a couple weeks of lessons before Martha felt confident enough to talk to her friends about dance during recess. The whole group was sitting down in a circle as they listened to Martha talk about her classes.
“So, what is jingle dancing?” Nora asked out of curiosity.
“It’s a traditional Ojibwe dance to help sick people, it helped my uncle when he was really sick.” Martha answered.
“What’s your dress look like?” Fatin asked with excitement in her voice.
“It’s purple with bells.”
“She looks really pretty in it!” Toni interrupted.
“That’s so cool!” Fatin said.
“Do you preform? Like my pageants? Or Fatin’s concerts?” Shelby asked.
“Mommy said they call them res..resi…resittiles?”
“Recitals.” Nora provided.
“Ya that!”
The conversation was cut short once again by the teacher calling for them. Rachel and Toni took of in their daily race to the door while the rest stood up and started walking to continue their school day. Martha would continue her lessons and forever be thankful for Toni showing up that first day. Martha’s not sure why Toni stayed, it definitely wasn’t her scene, maybe she stayed because she knew Martha needed a pick me up that day, or maybe she just really wanted to stay out of that house. Either way Martha will always be thankful for her best friend Toni.