MISSOULA - An 11-year-old girl in Arlee is doing something unique amid the coronavirus.
For the past several nights right at sunset Aurora O’Neill dances a jingle dance to the Creator, asking for healing upon the earth in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
She is answering the call of jingle dancers across the country who are also participating.
This type of dancing is considered a healing prayer in the Native American community.
Aurora is a descendant of the Salish tribe.
There are different versions of the story about how the dance began, but they all include a little girl who was very sick.
Her father had a dream about a dance that would make her better.
She wore a dress lined with rows of silver cones. The sound of the jingles healed her. It's the thought that every step upon the earth is a prayer.
