who was your "mentor" growing up?

[dwnsouthndn]

Who was that cloth dancer you watched dance at pow-wows when you was growing up?

I had several that I can remember-some of them are still dancing and some are in other categories. I started dancing cloth about 11 years ago and these are the ladies, especially my mother, that inspired me to keep on dancing!!! I haven't dance in about 2 years now but trying to make my way back. I want to dance in honor of my mother (she has passed on) cause she always enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren dance!!!

Sandy Tate Navaquoya (think that's mispelled Sorry)
McClellan Sisters (can't remeber their first names)
Tookie Hamilton

There's more but can't think of them now!

[STATE]

I used to follow DeeDee Goodeagle and Amber Hughes and wish I could dance as smoothly as they did. My mom is an excellent southern dancer and I like to watch her dance, even at 70 years old she can outdance me. I want to still be dancing at 70. Nellie Yarholar is another that I could watch over and over again. There are several ladies that I admired growing up in the arena, these are only a few that I mentioned. Keep dancing, ladies!

[Beth]

mentors

Most of you won't know most of these people but Dancing- Rosetta Le Clair, Clarabelle Roughface, (spelling) Wilhemina Butler, and too many generous ladies to mention. Singing -
Evelyn LeRoy, Lucy Cries for Ribs, Colleen (forgot new Married name) but as with the generous dancers there are many women singers along the way.
I know you asked for women but I can't leave out the men that taught me the songs. Like Harry Buffalohead, Henry Collins,
Tony Arkeketa. And like the women there are many head singers that have been kind enough to have me join the chorus.

[Ayita16]

I think my womens traditonal mentors have been
Bobby orr (she dances buckskin though)
Judy Gibson
Dawn Arneach (Yes lol you have helped me lol)
And just watching a bunch of ladies who have been dancing for so long, I keep thinking when i get that age will all the teen dancers be looking up to me?

[nimkiikwe_49]

I gotta give my props to my auntie Jude, because she took me under her wing, when it came to pow wow dancing...and traditional lifestyle... for her pow-wow's weren't just a weekend thing... she was an all nishnabekwe...she was in love with her culture and she share that with me... and thats pretty much where I learned how to be inclusive with my culture... its not just what I like to do, its what I do, I can't be anyone else but the cultural person that i am, because of her example.

as far as dancing goes...yea she was it... but since i've changed to jingle... i just let the spirit guide me, and hope that I don't look funny!

[pawnee_babe_original]

I have a lot of 'role models' when it comes to cloth dancing...

First and foremost is my mumsy (aka Irene aka Reenie-Bo)!
:)

Next would be my grandma clarabelle roughface
:)

And last on my short-ish list is Salina NoEar Todome way back when she used to cloth dance, and I also like her northern style dancing
:)

[Okwataga]

thanks ayita -

i guess since i'm a little closer in age to these ladies it's not so much as look up to but listen to, vicki standingdeer, judy gibson, A lady who we all miss Jody Walkingeagle,

[superndngyrl]

I used to always like watching Laura Sigwing dance when i was growin up. She used to be a goot one.

[TRUTREES1]

Uncle

My UNCLE

[luvstraightdancrs]

"TRUTREES1 My UNCLE"

Buh! Your uncle was a cloth dancer? Is your uncle named Jerrica?

[superndngyrl]