Unbroken: Indigenous Peoples Today
Native Regalia Dance Bells
Lakota traditional dancer, Nick Ohitika Najin, holds a set of handmade dance bells which he usually wears around his ankles during pow wow performances. These bells can weigh up to ten pounds per set and are used to help dancers match the tempo of the drums as well as practice significant ceremonial customs.
"When we first heard bells we had no idea what they were, but they scared us so much that we ran. That's why we wear them now because we use them to scare off spirits, we use them to ward off enemies. To let them know that we're here."
"There's so many ways you can use a bell. In Northern traditional dancing you'll see people do a sneak up song and crouch like they're trying to sneak onto an enemy. And every once in a while they'll shake their bell but then they'll stop. It's because you're taunting that person and you're trying to say 'Hey I'm over here, but then I'm not here.' And then there's other songs where you're just straight out jamming and you're trying to make these as loud as you can because you're trying to ward off the spirits. You're trying to chase off the negative energy around and bring the positivity back to the circle."
nativeAmericanregaliabellsphotographyJasonSinnJason SinnJason Sinn PhotographyLakotaNative American cultureactivismactivism photographeractivism photographyactivism portraitactivistactivist photographeractivist photographyamerican indianamerican indian photographyamerican indian portraitartart photographyartistartworkcreativecreative photographycreative portraitcreative portrait photographycreative portraitureculturalcultural photographercultural photographycultural portraitcultural portrait photographycultureculture photographerculture photographyculture portraiteducationgold bellshuman rightsindigenousindigenous cultureindigenous peopleindigenous people todayindigenous peoples todayindigenous personindigenous photographyindigenous portrait photographylakota dancerlovenative americannative american dancernative american dancingnative american photographynative american portraitnative american portrait photographynative american regalianative culturenative lives matternative pridenative regalianative rightspeacephotographerphotography artphotoshootportraitportrait photographerportrait photographyportraitsportraitureprofessional activismprofessional photographerprofessional photographyprotest photographerprotest photographyprotest portraitregalia bellsresistresistanceunbroken indigenous peoples todaywisdom
- No Comments
Copyright © Jason Sinn Photography.
Based in Denver, CO. Available for travel worldwide.