The Dance of the Blue Blanket

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’a mother
and baby brother to their 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.
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 and
told Nadia, “Yes.”
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’a 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 outstretched
hand she held a child-sized fringed shawl.
Nadia glanced at grandmother for approval.
Once again grandmother’s eyes smiled a “yes.”
The wonderful gift was accepted from the stranger.
She placed the fringed shawl upon her shoulders
and began to dance, the fringed shawl
twirling and whirling about her like the wings
of a butterfly. She 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 powwow.