The Fancy Shawl Displayed on a Model of a Young Girl

Description of the Fancy Shawl

The Circular Room in Which the Fancy Shawl Was Displayed

An artifact that particularly caught my attention was the Yakama Girl’s Fancy Shawl Dance. I found this artifact in the dance exhibit on the lower level of the museum. The layout of the exhibit itself really drew me in and made me very interested in what was inside. The room was large and circular, with the middle of the room an open dance floor and a large screen showing movies of native people performing traditional dances. The dress that caught my attention did so because the model wearing the dress was a child. I learned a lot about the Yakama people, who live in the mid-US, by looking at this dress and reading the description. Their culture is very focused on song and dance, with children being taught to keep rhythm as young as they possibly can. It is very important for Yakama people to know traditional songs and dances. Yakama people are from and currently live in the midwest. This particular costume is worn for the Fancy Shawl Dance. It is an upbeat dance traditionally performed by young girls. This dance was one of the ways through which young children were instructed to respect and serve their elders, families, and entire tribe. It is currently still performed as a way to retain the Yakama traditions.