Athabascan dancing is a form of art. When Athabascans dance they tell stories. Certain movements mean certain things and work like signals to the watchers and the dancers. The Athabascans danced for their entertainment and for fun. The Athabascans danced for almost every thing they experienced . They danced before hunting to bring good fortune to the hunt and after hunting to celebrate their success. They danced in private when someone passed on. They danced when relatives came and any time they had a party. In some villages before kids go to bed they get to watch their people dance. It is like a bedtime story.
Artifacts courtesy of Agnes Jackson.
MUKLUKS- They're boots that are made from moose hide. They have a design of a flower. Mukluks can be boots or shoes.
On display at the National Bank of Alaska's Heritage Museum.
DANCE COLLAR- Like a bib except it is not used for eating. It has bead work all over the collar. The collar goes on the dancers neck.
Artifacts courtesy of Agnes Jackson.
HEADDRESS- It is like a hat with no top. The men were it when they're dancing. It is beaded also.
Artifacts courtesy of Agnes Jackson.
DANCE FANS- In dancing men and women used different objects such as fans. The man's fan has a hole in the handle and the woman's fan doesn't.
Artifacts courtesy of Agnes Jackson.
BELTS-The belts were worn by both men and women. The blue one with the wolf tails on it is for the men. The other one that is white and red is for the women. This is also a tool for dancing.
Artifacts courtesy of Agnes Jackson.
DRESSES-The women wore the dresses when they danced. Some of the dresses are beaded. The dresses have all kinds of designs of flowers on them.
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