There is a few different versions as to the origin of the Jingle Dress Dance. One thing is certain, this dance and the dress came from a dream and it's origins are from the north, near the now Canadian border. One version of the dream has a Medicine Man's grand-daughter becoming extremely ill. The Medicine Man had a dream whereby his spirit guides told and taught him how to make the jingle dress for his grand-daughter. He was then told to have her dance in it and she would be healed. When the outfit was completed, the entire tribe gathered for a dance. The Medicine Man's grand-daughter had to be carried by women her first time round the circle. On her second time around the circle she could barely walk. The third pass saw her walking and on her forth time around she was dancing. The dress is made of cloth, velvet or leather and is adorned with shiny metal jingles. The jingles were traditionally the lids of snuff cans. They were moulded into cone shapes and attached to the dress so they were close enough to hit one another. When many jingles hit each other continually it is almost hypnotic and sounds like the rain.
