The Native American Gourd Dance is believed to have originated with the Kiowa tribe. Gourd dances, with their unique dance and history, often coincide with a Pow-Wow.
Kiowa legend states that when a man was alone, he heard an unusual song coming from the other side of a hill. Investigating, he found the song came from a red wolf dancing on its hind legs. After listening to more songs through the night, the next morning, the wolf told him to take the songs and dance back to the Kiowa people. The “howl” at the end of each gourd dance song honors the red wolf. The dance in the Kiowa language is called “Ti-ah pi-ah,” which means “ready to go, ready to die.”
Gourd Dance, photo courtesy of Gathering of Nations.
The Comanche and Cheyenne also have legends about the gourd dance. The ceremony soon spread to other tribes and societies.
Men dance, but women can participate by dancing in place behind the men and outside the circular arena. The drum can be placed on the side or in the center of the circle, and dancers perform around the perimeter, usually dancing in place. The dance is simple: participants lift their heels in time with the drumbeat and shake their rattles. The dress is also not elaborate, with sashes worn around the waist or draped around the neck, reaching the ground.
Beginning in 1890, the United States government began actively enforcing bans on these dances, and by the 1930s, they had fallen out of practice. However, several tribes have resurrected the dance today. Some gourd societies do not use race as a criterion for membership, even allowing non-Native Americans to be inducted. However, the Kiowa allow only members who are half-blooded or more.
During Pow-Wows today, gourd dancing generally occurs before the Grand Entry. The rattles used in Pow-Wows are not made of a gourd, but rather a tin or silver cylinder filled with beads on a beaded handle.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, October 2026.
Also See:
Native American Photo Galleries
Native American Rituals and Ceremonies
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