In late spring, when the dogwood begins to bud, some say when the dogwood blossom is the size of a squirrel’s ear, a Shawnee council meeting is held to talk about the Bread Dance. According to our tribal traditions, the Bread Dance is the most important event in Shawnee life, ceremonial or otherwise. The ceremony represents the hunt, planting, and harvest, annually retelling the male and female roles in planting, germination, and new life. Attendance or participation is a part of being Shawnee. …