Why this girl's first powwow dance brought healing for her whole family
Aislyn Henderson's family watched with pride, joy as she became a jingle dancer
This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You can see more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.
As Ann Paul was sewing cones onto Aislyn Henderson's first jingle dress, her fingers hesitated when she reached 120. A traditional jingle dress has 365 cones, one for each day of the year.
But this dress was different.
"I said you know what? This dress is not heavy. This is not heavy because this young lady is already carrying a lot," Ann said.
Grief piled itself down on the family, but four years after Erin's disappearance, her mother, sister and brother-in-law stood in the sun, watching as Aislyn stepped into the powwow circle, drums beating in the distance, and danced alone across the grass.
It's an honour to become a jingle dancer, Ann said.
If someone comes to you with tobacco and asks you to dance for their loved one, it's the privilege and responsibility of a jingle dancer to do so. In that way, Aislyn can heal both herself and the members of her community.
And someday, Ann said, when Aislyn is lighter, she will sew herself a new jingle dress, one that has 365 cones, one that she can carry.
Scroll through the photos and watch the video to learn more about Aislyn's first jingle dance.
Ann's Eye
Photographer Ann Paul brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick. Click here or on the image below to see more of her work.
