ST. IGNATIUS — Students from St. Ignatius Elementary School gathered on Friday afternoon to watch members of The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes perform several dances including the Jingle Dance, Scarf Dancing, Grass Dancing and Fancy Dancing. The performance is a way of teaching students about the local Native American culture.

The event was orchestrated by St. Ignatius High School custodian Ben Corral. Corral has been giving similar demonstrations and lectures all over the Pacific Northwest for the past several years  as a means of sharing and educating people on the history and culture of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

“Mission School [St. Ignatius] has always been ahead of other area schools in educating students on the Salish and Kootenai history and culture... I think it is important for students to learn about Indian Culture,” Corral said,  “and I hope that programs like this one will continue to spread to all Montana schools.”  

“The Jingle Dance originated in the Northwest,” Corral stated, “and from there spread to Oklahoma and the Southwest. It was primarily used for healing and making things prosperous for the tribe,” Corral added. “All dances in the Salish and Kootenai culture have a purpose, “ Corral said, “and are a way the tribe ask the spirit world for help.”  The Jingle Dance is performed by women in the tribe as a healing or protection dance.  The dance is unique from others as the dancers use tin cones sewn onto their regalia to create a - “jingling sound.” Before tin became available in the 1860s, women used other objects.

 Corral said, “they often used seashells that traders would bring from the coast, or elk teeth. The woman were also known to gather bullet shells to use on their garments after a battle with Army soldiers.”

After the demonstration, dancers from the Tribe invited  St. Ignatius students to take part in the final dance, the “Happy Song,”  a “Circle Dance” that begins with all dancers holding hands and finishes with them all rushing in and coming together.  

St. Ignatius teacher, Susie Batiuchok helped organize the event along with fellow teachers Ilene Plant and Geraldine Felix-McDonald.

“It is a real cultural experience,” Batiuchok said, “ we are hoping to have more educational and cultural events like this is the future.”