Dance of The Blue Blanket Retold by Barbara Shining Woman Warren  (a
contemporary story based on a true incident)

 

Nadia was four years old...and she loved Indians. Everything about Indians excited her. One day Nadia's grandmother came for a visit. Grandmother recalled those old
stories the family told of Cherokee blood. So Grandmother decided to take
Nadia, along with Nadia's mother and baby brother, to her first pow wow. 
Little Nadia stood at the edge of the Circle. She watched with awe as
the dancers passed by her dressed in their beautiful clothing. She
listened intently to the drum, her knees dipping with the beat and Nadia
knew she wanted to dance. But there were so many kinds of dances going on.
She watched the men; then the women. She lifted one foot, then the
other, puzzled about just what she should do with her feet.  Nadia felt a
tap on her shoulder. Looking up she saw a smiling woman dressed in
beautiful clothing holding out her hand toward Nadia. Nadia hesitated and
glanced at her grandmother for approval. Grandmother's eyes smiled,
"Yes."  So Nadia accepted the hand of the stranger and together they danced
and danced around the Circle. After a while, Nadia began to dance on
her own. As Grandmother watched, Nadia started to twirl and whirl holding
her arms up high in the air in imitation of the lovely fancy shawl
dancers.  Grandmother beckoned to Nadia. She gave her a small blue blanket
belonging to Nadia's baby brother. Nadia placed the blanket around her
shoulders and began to dance with it in the Circle, the blue blanket
twirling and whirling about her like the wings of a butterfly.  She felt
another tap on her shoulder, and there stood a different woman, and in
her out-stretched hand she held a child-sized fringed shawl. Nadia
glanced at Grandmother for approval. Grandmother's eyes smiled, "Yes."  So
Nadia accepted the gift from the stranger. She placed the fringed shawl
about her shoulders and then began to dance, the fringed shawl twirling
and whirling about her like the wings of a butterfly.  Nadia danced in
honor of all those ancestors who had come before and with the pure joy
of being a little girl at her very first pow wow.