Dance played different roles for different Native groups across North America, creating a rich and varied living history. The significance of dancing not only varied across tribes or regions, but also within one tribe—dance could be used in healing ceremonies, in storytelling, in ritual, or as entertainment. As the Charlotte Heth says in her introduction to Native American Dance, dancers “organize and participate in powwows; social and seasonal dances; life-cycle ceremonies; feast days and fiestas; stomp dances; agricultural ceremonies; special tribal, religious, and honoring ceremonies; family and clan events; and medicine rites”. Dance is not just one aspect of a rich culture; it is a unifying aspect of traditional life for many Native Americans.

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