Regalia: An extension of identity
The regalia is completely made from the person wearing it’s own hands. For the dancers wearing this traditional outfit, which they dreamed up themselves, the regalia represents their identity and their connection with the dance and the community. It is symbolic of belonging to the First Nations, and displays each person’s origins, beliefs, and spirituality.
In the regalia, feathers are not to be taken lightly! Dancers earn the feathers on their regalia: either the feathers were an offering, or they were found. If a feather comes off the regalia, it must be left behind. In sacred rituals, the elders will retrieve the fallen feathers and evaluate their authenticity. A dance precedes their retrieval from the ground.
