By Leah Lemm / MPR News
Selena Jourdain started jingle dress dancing when she was 3 years old. The jingle dress is a century-old Ojibwe cultural tradition with beginnings in Minnesota. In late November, Jourdain shared that tradition with an audience of millions.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew a crowd of well over 3 million spectators to the streets of New York City, with more than ten times that number watching the broadcast.
For Jourdain, it was the second time she had shared her culture at the parade. She appeared in the parade in 2013, when she was 12 years old. This year, she brought attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women with her regalia.
“I decided to wear red to honor MMIW,” Jourdain said.
According to Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office, Indigenous women and girls made up 10 percent of missing women in the state in 2024 — far exceeding the one percent population of Indigenous women.
“Most people probably wouldn’t, but I think all the Natives would recognize it,” Jourdain said.
The jingle dress is known for its healing. The sound of the jingle dress beats like rhythmic rain as dancers moved to the drum.
“Me and my daughter will be dancing what’s called original style jingle dress, so it’ll be a little bit different. We have a contemporary jingle dress dancer as well, so I’m excited that we’ll get to showcase the two different versions of the jingle dress,” Jourdain said before the performance.
Now a mother, Jourdain was joined in the parade by her daughter, Ivy Rosebear, in a jingle dress made by “mommy’s friend.”
“It’s blue and pink,” the first grader said.
Jourdain’s father also participated in the event. Years earlier, Chris Jourdain brought his daughter to New York City for her first year in the parade. He said the parade was an opportunity to showcase Indigenous representation to a large audience.
“It is good to see us, as Indigenous people, on the big screen on this holiday, or however we want to frame that. It’s that we’re still here, and we’re thriving and we’re growing,” Chris Jourdain said.
The Jourdain family is part of Native Pride Productions, an Indigenous performance company dedicated to preserving and sharing cultural traditions.
Larry Yazzie, the founder and artistic director of Native Pride Productions, started dancing at a young age and went on to become a world champion fancy dancer, an actor and a cultural educator. The theme of the performance on Thursday focused on showcasing dancers across generations.
A news release from Native Pride Productions stated, “we bring three generations of dancers together to share the beauty, strength, and spirit of American Indian culture with millions across the nation.”
This year marked the company’s third appearance at the parade, with dancers from several tribal nations across the United States and Canada.
“I’m just as thrilled as the first time and the second time,” Yazzie said.
For many Indigenous people, Thanksgiving has not been a day of celebration. Since 1970, National Day of Mourning has been recognized by Indigenous people and allies with a gathering in Plymouth, Mass., the same day as Thanksgiving. The United American Indians of New England organized the commemoration in response to the U.S. holiday, recognizing the centuries of suffering that followed settler contact.
Yazzie said the parade was an opportunity to focus on the mission of Native Pride Productions: education.
“I want the world to know that we still exist, we still are proud people, and historically, the U.S. government has always tried to take away our way of life because they didn’t simply understand. And I want the world to understand our culture, that our culture is beautiful,” Yazzie said. “We’ve always been here for thousands of years, and that’s our mission — to inspire and motivate and, last but not least, to educate, to educate the world of who we are as Indigenous people.”
Yazzie noted that the time of year has traditionally been one of feasting, gathering and celebration. He said he wanted to continue that tradition.
Yazzie’s spouse, Shawna Yazzie, who managed logistics for Native Pride Productions, said, “Thanksgiving, even though our story is very different than what a lot of times is shown on television or taught, it’s still a time to honor our ancestors that came before us, and a time for gathering and a time for celebration.”
