Seneca Ë:sgä:nye:’, often referred to as Women’s Dance or Shuffle Dance, is a vibrant expression of Seneca culture, deeply rooted in stories, traditions, and everyday life experiences. These songs and dances, captured in captivating Shuffle Dance Videos, offer a glimpse into the heart of the Seneca Nation and their rich heritage. Originating from moments of inspiration, sometimes even dreams, Ë:sgä:nye:’ songs blend Seneca language with melodies to convey profound meanings within a few lines, much like haiku.
One anonymous older song perfectly encapsulates the essence of Earth Songs with the Seneca word deyögwada’nigöëwë:nye:h, meaning “we are stirring our own minds” or “we are occupying our minds.” This single word, as shown in Table 1, reveals the introspective and thoughtful nature embedded within Ë:sgä:nye:’.
Table 1. Lyrics from a Gëöya’ge:h (Ë:sgä:nye:’) song, translated from Seneca.
| Seneca Lyrics | English Translation |
|—|—|
| Yoho:hgëöya’ge:hohdë:jöh | (vocable) in the Sky World it’s going on |
| niyögwayo’dëhjögwe’ö:weh | how our ways are the Real People |
| awë:notgäh de’tši:yo:hdeyögwada’nigöëwë:nye:h | it’s good fun and we are stirring our own minds |
| yöëdza’ge:ka:’onëhodiwahdë:jöhgai:nawea:h he:ah | on the Earth now it is happening (vocables) |
Captured in September 2022, shuffle dance videos featuring the Allegany Singers at the Coldspring Longhouse cookhouse (video 3) provide a valuable resource for understanding Ë:sgä:nye:’. Accompanying these performances are insightful discussions (video 4) where members share the meanings and stories behind the songs, painting a vivid picture of the Allegany Territory as a hub of Seneca musical creativity. For decades, this community has thrived on a dynamic of learning, preserving, and even competing to present the most compelling sets of Women’s Dance songs. Their dedication extends to creating new songs while honoring the legacy of past generations through “Used-to-Be Songs.” The Allegany community’s unique approach, allowing younger men to contribute their own songs, distinguishes them from other territories where typically a single main singer leads.
Video 3. Ë:sgä:nye:’ performance by Bill Crouse and the Allegany Singers at Coldspring Cookhouse.
Video 4. Interview with Allegany Singers members Bill Crouse, Sr., John Block, Jake George, and Jacob Dowdy, discussing Ë:sgä:nye:’.
Further enriching our understanding of Seneca Shuffle Dance videos, John Block, a Seneca singer and language teacher, shared three Ë:sgä:nye:’ in July 2024 (video 5). He eloquently explained the words and narratives behind each song. These selections included a song by Arthur Johnny-John about the Kinzua Dam tragedy, an older anonymous song referencing Handsome Lake’s prophecies, and a song John himself composed for the conclusion of a Sing. John’s sharing reveals how each song is a repository of Seneca history, religion, and values. While many Women’s Dance songs celebrate life’s joys, John’s chosen songs highlight a more profound, reflective, and even somber aspect of Seneca musical expression, such as the Kinzua Dam Song which poignantly captures a community grappling with trauma.
Video 5. John Block performs and narrates the stories behind three Ë:sgä:nye:’ songs.
These shuffle dance videos not only preserve the songs themselves but also evoke memories of those who taught them, the occasions they were sung, and the stories interwoven within them. John Block recounts a story of someone unknowingly praising a song he had created, highlighting the often-personal connection to these traditional pieces. Similarly, Bill Crouse shares an anecdote about performing an Ë:sgä:nye:’ for his teacher, only to discover it was his teacher’s own composition.
John Block’s closing song example beautifully illustrates the creative interplay between tradition and innovation within Women’s Dance songs. For a song intended as a festive recessional at the end of a Sing, he incorporated elements of a Ga’da:šot song, a centuries-old marching dance that traditionally opens social gatherings. While John expresses a preference for older songs and styles and worries about the loss of linguistic knowledge crucial to understanding them, he remains optimistic about the future of Seneca music, acknowledging the younger generation’s enthusiastic embrace and adaptation of Ë:sgä:nye:’ in contemporary ways.
The Roles of Women and Men in Seneca Shuffle Dance
In a captivating dance presentation of Ë:sgä:nye:’ by the Indigenous Spirit Dancers, available in video format online (dance presentation of Ë:sgä:nye:’), leader Marty Jimerson, Jr., emphasizes the esteemed position of women in Haudenosaunee culture. He connects the dance to the Creation story, underscoring the women’s unwavering connection to the earth. This video performance serves as a powerful visual representation of the cultural significance of Women’s Shuffle Dance.
Intriguingly, shuffle dance videos reveal that these Women’s Shuffle Dance songs are primarily composed and sung by men. This practice reflects the traditional Seneca societal structure, characterized by gender duality rather than hierarchy. Before colonization, Seneca society assigned distinct roles to men and women, but without establishing dominance of one over the other. Although the Haudenosaunee Confederacy was governed by male chiefs, their authority was rooted in the clan mothers who selected and could remove them. Seneca communities were matrilineal and matrilocal, and the Seneca language defaults to female when referring to someone of unknown gender. While men were associated with the woods domain of hunting and warfare, women were connected to the clearing domain of agriculture and child rearing. This division of roles extended to dance, where women performed Ë:sgä:nye:’ while men sang. Balance, a core value in Native societies, was key. Ethnomusicologist Ellen Koskoff notes this balance in her analysis of women’s musical roles in ritual, highlighting the Iroquois acknowledgment of the inherent value and power of women and their music as a necessary complement to male ritual activity.
Colonization has introduced complexities to gender dynamics, blending traditional Haudenosaunee and Euro-American values. However, traditionalists maintain gender distinctions in social dance as an integral part of their heritage. Bill Crouse, in his performances, often educates audiences about the traditional regalia of his dancers, differentiating between genders and explaining the cultural significance of their attire. He playfully incorporates gender dynamics into his shows through competitions between male and female smoke dancers, often humorously declaring the women as victors.
Bill Crouse’s daughters, Ashlyn Crouse and Roslyn Dowdy, in interviews, connect dancing to their bonds with other women. They both wear regalia crafted by their mother. When questioned about traditional gender roles, Ashlyn emphasized her grandmother’s traditional perspective, stating, “It’s just the way it is. My grandma’s old school, so I just don’t do some things but I still support people who do.” They cited lacrosse as an example of a practice they abstain from due to traditional gender roles.
It’s crucial to understand that while Seneca traditionalists uphold gender dualities in cultural expressions rooted in tradition, this does not imply endorsement of these concepts across all aspects of life. All-female singing societies like the Six Nations Women Singers and prominent Haudenosaunee women singers like Sadie Buck and Joanne Shenandoah demonstrate the active role of women in Seneca music. Haudenosaunee powwows have even embraced transgender dancers, showcasing inclusivity within tradition.
While acknowledging the observed male dominance in Seneca singing, it is important to recognize the evolving landscape and hope for future studies to amplify women’s voices within Seneca song. Exploring shuffle dance videos offers a valuable window into understanding these rich traditions and the dynamic roles of both men and women in preserving and evolving Seneca culture.
