The colourful dresses are adorned with over 300 rolled metal cones that make a melodic sound when they are danced in. Originally, these jingles were made with chewing tobacco can lids and rolled into cones, highlighting the resourcefulness of their makers.

Although Indigenous celebrations and dances were banned by colonial authorities in both Canada and the United States for many decades, these practices were never snuffed out. Oftentimes, dances were held in secret and passed down through families, surviving waves of forced displacement, residential schools and assimilation. 

Many dancers have attested to the power the jingle dresses have in helping them get through loss, trauma and grief. The shimmering of the jingles in the light and the enchanting sound they create are said to spread the healing powers both to the dancer and all those who witness it.

This became abundantly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when women and girls across Turtle Island danced in their jingle dresses and shared them online to help cope with the crisis and to pray for their community’s return to good health.

The jingle dress has long been a symbol of resilience and shared strength in Indigenous communities, continuing its essential role as a powerful catalyst for positive change and collective healing.