Stomp Dancing
Chickasaw Culture KeepersDespite being forbidden in the past to practice their traditional dances, the Chickasaws kept these treasured pieces of their heritage alive by performing them in secret. Now Chickasaw dancer Julie Underwood says that she plans to pass the practice down to her own children: "They need to know where they came from; they need to know that we still have our songs and dances." Distinct from "social" dances, stomp dancing has a profound ceremonial and religious significance. Men perform the singing, which takes the form of a prayer, while the women play their own crucial part by keeping rhythm with shaker instruments such as box turtle shells and deer toes.
EPISODES
Stickball Sticks
S1 • E2
Metalsmithing
S1 • E5
Shell Carving
S2 • E1
Horticulture
S2 • E3
Traditional Foods
S2 • E5
Beaded Collars
S2 • E8
Drum Making
S2 • E9
Storytelling
S2 • E10
Bow Making
S2 • E11
Brent Greenwood Art
S2 • E12
Beaded Jewelry
S3 • E1
Flint Knapping
S3 • E2
Stomp Dancing
S3 • E3
Turkey Calls
S3 • E5
Woodturning
S3 • E7
Bead Artisan
S3 • E8
Textile Art
S3 • E9
Quilt Making
S3 • E10
The Legacy of Bow Making
S3 • E12
Bead Artistry
S4 • E1
Woven Mats
S4 • E3
Metalworking
S4 • E4
Photography
S4 • E5
Deer Toe Shakers
S4 • E7
Stickball Sticks
S4 • E8
Shell Carving
S4 • E9
Medicine Bags
S4 • E10
Natural Dyes
S4 • E11
Bladesmithing
S5 • E1
Porcupine Quillwork
S5 • E3
Pottery Burnishing
S5 • E4
Shell Carving
S5 • E5
Duck Decoys
S5 • E6
Traditional Arrows
S5 • E7
Fine Gourd Art
S5 • E8
Traditional Flutes
S5 • E9
Turtle Pottery
S5 • E10
Turtle Shell Shakers
S5 • E11
Pucker Toe Moccasins
S5 • E12
Tattoos and War Paint
S6 • E1
Leggings and Breechcloths
S6 • E2One Tribe One Mission
"Our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people will continue to serve as our guidepost as we work together to build an even brighter future"
Bill Anoatubby, Governor
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