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Native Dance with Teva the Wolf

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Met up with a very special friend of mine named Alejandro (AKA Alex) in the Pearl District. We almost immediately ran into some car troubles, in what Alex described as “a very ‘coyote’ fashion”.

So we caught the bus instead to make it to Alejandro’s Native Community Center.

We arrived at the center rather late, so joined awkwardly in the last moments of prayer. I was offered fruit, chocolate, and water in welcoming, and was invited to introduce myself.

Alex then explained to his tribe the events which had taken place between us over the past few days. We’d met at Last Thursday through Dragon Boy, and it came up in conversation that I made headdresses. Alex, though young, is deeply involved in his tribe’s dances and drum circles and community gatherings, so asked me about making a coyote headdress. Long story short, he came to view my wares, and I ended up giving him one of my best coyote tails free of charge. He explained that in his tribe, they respond to gifts through celebrations of thanks, so promised to take me to his next meeting to dance the coyote dance in my honor.

After asking his Elder’s permission to do the dance for me, the musicians and Alex prepared. He’d called me earlier that morning to ask if I’d bring a coyote headdress so he could channel Coyote’s energy as he danced, but each of the coyote headdresses I currently have in my possession are bound for homes with various customers, so I brought Teva, my personal wolf headdress, instead.

It was strange to see someone other than me wearing Teva, but it looked beautiful on Alejandro. He invited me to film the dance, so I took up position with the camera, Alex stood before the drum, and the Elder stood before it as the dance began.

The rhythm was intense and deep. It reverberated through the gym of the community center and sunk into my bones. Alex, in his regalia, looked majestic and proud as he began to dance wildly and precisely. It was apparent that he knew the Coyote Dance well and greatly enjoyed the experience of performing it.

The music grew faster and Alejandro changed his steps accordingly. Teva, the wolf, flowed effortlessly with his movements. It were as through she too were dancing.

Suddenly, the lights went out and a disco ball on the ceiling was lit so that streaks of silver surrounded Alex. Behind me, a young boy with a conch shell blew hard to make a penetrating howl, and Alex shortly let out a beautiful howl of his own.

Moonlight and flecks of silver from the disco ball were now all that illuminated the scene so I turned off the camera and watched with intense joy as Alex continued his dance. My body felt empowered by the beat of the drum, and I admit that I was blushing the whole time simply because the dance was meant for me, and it was one of the most beautiful and heartfelt gifts I’ve ever received.

When it was over, Alejandro was drenched in sweat, but looked very energized. The other tribe members congratulated him and took the opportunity to investigate Teva before politely asking me about my work and the kinds of things I could do or parts which I could obtain.

I gave my phone number to a few of the men who hunted deer, wishing to have headdresses made from next season’s takings. Much to my surprise, I was also invited to a large multi-tribal gathering in Washington not far from Carson where Andrew and I go camping.

After everyone else had left, I told Alejandro thank you, gave him a hug, and promised, “This is one of those events that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
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ZacherieRee's avatar
I wish they had something like this near where I lived, this looks amazing id love to do something like this to see the dance and just 

MMM it would be amazing