These dances are now firmly established in the competitive powwow circuit, and show the push by women towards changing dance traditions. Hoop dance, because it developed mostly outside of the powwows, has a different history of integration. The first hoop championship was held in 1990. The first woman to dance in the competition was Jackie Bird in 1994. She entered the general competition, and when asked if there should be a separate category for women, replied that “I think women are just as good as the men, and should be able to compete with them!” This integrated hoop dancing in a different way—women and men perform in the same categories, with no distinctions made. In 1997, Ginger Sykes Torres became the first woman to win a World Championship title, winning the teen division. The first woman to win the prestigious adult division was Lisa Odjig, who won in 2000 and again in 2003. Women dancers are now frequent participants in the competition.

Comment on this page