The Native American Gourd Dance is believed to have originated with the Kiowa tribe. Gourd dances, with their unique dance and history, are often held to coincide with a Pow-Wow.
Kiowa legend states that when a man was alone, he heard an unusual song coming from the other side of a hill. Investigating, he found the song came from a red wolf dancing on its hind legs. After listening to more songs through the night, the next morning, the wolf told him to take the songs and dance back to the Kiowa people. The “howl” at the end of each gourd dance song is a tribute to the red wolf. The dance in the Kiowa language is called “Ti-ah pi-ah,” which means “ready to go, ready to die.”
Gourd Dance, photo courtesy Gathering of Nations.
The Comanche and Cheyenne also have legends about the gourd dance. The ceremony soon spread to other tribes and societies.
Men dance, but women can participate by dancing in place behind the men and outside the circular arena. The drum can be placed on the side or in the center of the circle, and the dancers perform around the perimeter of the area, usually dancing in place. The dance is simple, with participants lifting their heels in time with the drumbeat and shaking their rattles. The dress is also not elaborate, with sashes being worn by the dancers around the waist or draped around the neck, reaching the ground.
Beginning in 1890, the United States government began to enforce bans on these dances actively, and by the 1930s, they had fallen out of practice. However, several tribes have resurrected the dance today. Some gourd societies do not distinguish between races as a criterion for membership, even allowing non-Native Americans to be inducted into their societies. However, the Kiowa allow only members who are half-blooded or more.
During Pow-Wows today, gourd dancing generally occurs before the Grand Entry. The rattles used in Pow-Wows are not made of a gourd, but rather a tin or silver cylinder filled with beads on a beaded handle.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, July 2025.
Also See:
Native American Photo Galleries
Native American Rituals and Ceremonies
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